The unwritten scars

: An Unwa

h remained untouched. It was too much. Too soon. She couldn't shake the feeling tha

bout the ghosts lurking in every corner. She wiped down the counter, folded the to

thing

ut of the town. It had been a week since Noah had helped her settle in, and she hadn't seen him s

oor broke her fr

skipped a bea

n expecting an

opened the door,

i

he hadn't seen him since the night she left. The night she finally found the courage to walk away from

ng on her doorstep, look

?" Evie's voice cracked,

but it didn't reach his eyes. "

ke a punch to the st

er voice shaky. She couldn't

lk to you. We

st. She knew better than to listen to him. S

her voice trembled. "I'm not

ing, like he was trying to convince her.

er mind spinning. Why

e pulled back, instinctively taking a step awa

changed. We can fi

hadn't changed. He was the same man who had broken her ove

onger. She could feel the walls inside her sh

re," he continued, his voice more

hing else-a steady, calm presence. It wasn't Lia

se without her hearing him. But she turned, and there he was, standing in the yar

presence alone was enough to

" Noah's voice was low, but there

of them, and for a split second, Evi

pat, his tone venomous. "Thi

, just stood his ground, like a silent

aten someone I care about," Noah

ue. Instead, he turned on his heel and

rozen, her heart ha

f sight. Then, he walked toward her, slow and st

?" he asked,

tting in, the terror still curling in her stomach. She

had always been there, in wa

red. "I thought I was safe. But

the first time he had touched her in any way, and for a second, she tensed, unsure of what to do

rst time in ye