You Broke Us First

LI

I'd subconsciously grown accustomed to over the years. But this morn

rush of endorphins as I pushed my body to its limit brought me back to center. Working out and straini

started to prune. I stepped out of the shower and wiped the condensation off the mirror to stare at myself. I could feel my mask slipping back into place. This is who I am– Julian Black

ze the bad timing anywhere. I ignored the call in favor of getting dressed, the buzzing stopped for a while and I assumed she had given up, but

e outside, his expression neutra

orning,

and he drove off as soon as I was buckled, navigat

reaching out and wringing off... well, I just wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. I made way to my office, the silence a welcomed gift from the chatters

room, Janice followed me into my office, her voice

ed to inquire if you have any particular requirement for the task force team assembled for the damage control

ringing in from outside the organization should u

and I also handpicked a reliable resource, so that shouldn'

judgment." I replied, with a wave of my

Janice?" I asked, giv

mother sent a mail with details for lunc

n my chair, swi

replied, "And next time she sends somethin

e replied and

rned on my phone unlocking it to voicemails from my mother. I should have deleted them immediately without listening, but somethi

d on th

n before Natalie Blackwood's

ssues over lunch.' Her tone took a slight acidic bite as she added, 'Why haven't been respondin

ours, make sure you come on time. The least you could do for

eth as I clicke

e at it.' I rolled my eyes at the inevitab

ugged scu–' I cut off the voicemail abruptly and had to refrain myself from hauling the phone across the offi

call mother and spew some very unpleasant things to her. I had del

their faces, pretending our meeting was purely coincidental. Meanwhile, the instigator would be nowhere in sight, leaving me trying to fend off desperate wome

the name displayed on the screen, my anger wavered. Instead of the 'Mother' I thought I would see, it was Ava. My grip on the phone relaxed as it fumbled and slipped from my hand to the floor. I picked it up, heart poundi

?" I

lling from my phone,

me dragged in a huge breath, I wasn't ev

or even–" I rambled, searching my brain

with a snort. "

a time we always had something to say to each other,

flew to Paris to pursue her passion for art. Apart from rare, occasional texts to know if

o Gran's for the weekend

ing?" I asked, fee

o Gran earlier this

nd restlessly, trying to mask the de

to New York on Sunday."

I asked, my excitemen

asn't supposed to tell me that, "Look, can we meet up for lunch or somethi

on Monday morning." I replied, tryin

bruptly, cutting off the call be

he fact she reached out to me first feels so surreal. The thought of reconnecting and possibly fixing our very fragile r

*

pulling out of everything and became a shadow of myself. She had storme

r voice trembled slightly, I slowly sat up. "What the hell happened at the camp? Emma's line is out of service, her messages are not going throug

? She sounded okay on the phone to me though. And you

guilt, knowing I'd been withdrawn and distant since returning from the camp. Ava's concern for Emma was evident, and I c

pt wit

t did you

s the night of the party, we were both drunk–just tipsy. I'm so sor

ate the look Ava

e whispered cupping her hand over h

n't say anything." Shame

Eastern Orthodox Church, she always spoke about saving hers

back down

g me to confront the possibility that I had indeed hurt Emma, and that t

*

had lifted after talking to Ava at the prospect of her coming. I reached for my wallet to pull out

the time; it was 5:47pm. I made a decision on w

lackwood."

reedom, I instructed, "Get my f