You Broke Us First

A

nd in our own ways. When we got to her place, I could barely move without tripping on my feet; clothes covered every single spot- on furnitures, spilling from her drawers, there was a red lace bra d

ver to help her pack again, I collapsed on the couch,

ing her eyebrows at me fro

a groan, "

end, Ms. Waverley, apart from mop

y made plans since the previous week, that didn't involve solitude, work or sleep. Not like I d

ng some tendrils of curls matted on my face behind my ear, "how about I go on Tinde

ing into a mischievous grin, but then sh

look. "Can you even look at a twink in t

ghter, as I let myself plop ba

erious Haze. You haven't been laid in- ev

ow about you just follow me home? You know my parents won

I said, as I sat up and stretched my sore arms above my head. "I do have a lot of things to catch up

t that. "You're impos

" I grinned. "At least up

r apartment building. We quickly dragged her lugga

nal goodbyes, and I waited at the side as she reached the line, with heads between us, she turned back and yelled acros

ned. Lots

it did any good, I heard some spectators chuckled, others gave me curious looks. I turne

Once she was safely on her way, I headed out of the terminal and caught a

ed up the used dishes and kitchen. I freshened up and got ready for bed. My flight was

fluffing my pillow, changing sheets and counting to 100 backwards. I finally gave up and switched on my bedside lamp. I picked up my

me than necessary. I had already drafted a rough campaign outline aimed to reposition the whole Blackwood name around transparency, stability and lon

ssing through what I had pulled up so far. It wasn't

a notification. I dropped the pen in my hand to pick the phone; the message was f

ling with a lot, and the weight of each bill and responsibility was gradually weighing me down. Caring for two persons with household expenses, w

y my bills, I hate to feel like a charity case. Although, Gran- as stubborn as a mule, knew how proud I was, and how I would stubbornly clung to my independence, had been qui

The idea of using her money settled uncomfortably in me. But now, as I stared at the bank notificatio

y tablet, saving the edits I worked on tonight. There was no creative spark left in me for now. I gat

light and crawled into bed for the second time this

hh...grrr

to catch. I groaned, dragging the duvet over my head as I stretched out my hand blindly to slap the alarm cloc

what little strength I had and squinted my eyes at t

y limbs felt like concrete, and the yawns came one after the other like waves. I tried to sha

last minute items before zipping them shut. In my large handbag, I pa

I got dressed. My hands moved on autopilot as I laced up my

everything was ready, I open

" He said, reaching

I huskily

while I gently scooped h

year-old daughter, Elena, was also dozing off at the backseat. Elena stirred when Aiden opened the doo

of coffee with a gentle smile. After he checked to be sure I had my boar

y as we zoomed down the empty roads. From the backseat, the soft giggles and babb

em, tiny arms wrapped around my neck tightly. My chest tightene

gently when I was eventually let go

hug. "Just go have some fun, Haze" he murmur

to see them still waiting. Her little hands waving widely at me. I w

wed my bag in the overhead compartment an

an to relax. The early morning wake up an

plane slowly backed away from the gate

, and in moments, we were airborne-rising steadily into the soft morning light, the city shrinking below. As plugged in my earbuds, selecting an audiobook I'd

ortably full, warm, and lulled by the narrator's voice. As the miles flew by, my eyelids grew heavier and I

he flight attendants woke me up just as t

Local time is 8:32 am. The weather is crisp and clear, currently 39 degrees Fahre

lane tilted into landing. Outside the window, hills and an array of green tre

ed ground, the cabin stirre

ags from the overhead and crowding into the aisle. I stayed seated,

lowed the stream of passengers out of the plane and into the terminal. I t

I texted Aiden

le as three faces filled the screen. After listening to the girls eve

he send her driver to pick me up fro

e address to Gran's villa to the drive, it was situated on the edge of town, secluded, priva

e looked

mth. Tall trees surrounded the property, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze. The beautiful gardens along the curved driveway were just as vibrant as I remembered. Standing on th

ested my weight on my suitcase, still feeling the ache of the flight. I frowned when I

creaked open f

lin

fr

li

ge white tee, bathed in the warm light spilling from the foyer behind him, like the years hadn

ening it half finished. His eyes, those same hard gray eyes

oftness of youth had been carved into so

up from his wrist to his covered shoulder. But his eyes- God, his eyes- were still the same. They scanned my face, lingering, hesitant, like he was searching for someone

d at eac

lt like it pressed against my skin. A thousand wor

pered sweet promises to me four years ago, his tone now sh

mm

d. Dagg

eath