Sugar before the Burn

a found herself dr

ee him. Maybe a reason to. She threw on a plain black tee and da

mpt, she gave up

of lecture halls, phones in their hands and egos in their pocket

she

e art building like he was waiting for time to catch up to him. Hoodie up, rings gl

zed just as t

retending you'

n. He hadn't moved, hadn't tou

idn't

d straigh

dn't

rn into her back long aft

to a small rooftop mixer hoste

past strings of fairy lights and badly dressed poe

g to be any of tha

hat's why y

sipped on a red drink someone called Th

he sho

yn

ived-like a shadow slipping between realities. Eyes scanning

t walk t

leaned on the railing, and lit a ci

ced. "Ig

ot loo

u a

"I don't get it. He

, El. He doesn't

was p

gaze and that stillness, Zayne reeled her in like

cused

the roof where the crowd thin

th

as t

eside

ind

him befor

ran t

d barely a foot behind her

wal

avo

ou wat

, his voice lower no

fraid. But all she fel

hy

to understand people

nce yo

they ask m

breath

ike this to

nes who pretend they'd say

retched be

mething rea

ted his h

nothing but ridd

. "You lik

being to

en don't pretend you

zzed. He did

said her name-low, full, like he owned the

't even

I see

you d

to her ear it made her knees wea

back. "You'r

ark, dangerous. "An

alked awa

ke a caged thing. Her sketchpad wa

he hadn'

gh sk

her

es. Cracked smile. Her hands were clutching h

as written

Unrav

d been in

had bee

wing her pen as the lecturer droned on about na

"What did he

thi

's wo

here. But never really there.

s. And you, my love, are unraveling l

s, she did

ad used the day before. Looked at the spines of books

phone buz

ike you're waiti

nds tr

be I al

the reply t

e finish what som

those words fo

hout realizing

se it was

use it w