A marked affair

ng, swept through the final

. Results

even breathe it in Ir

disti

sors she once feared now clapped the loudest. The school dean calle

ng up to graduation, every

n was still a hauntin

rst time they cuddled on his couch. But this

e cookies her mum insisted she take to him as gratit

or was

was pl

teppe

here

f anothe

next. Just the scream. The way Eden looked

can you not just b

stood

usly doing this?"

a man. I waited. I've been patient, respectful, loyal but there's only so much restra

n't just brea

ithout ano

that she hadn't loved Eden at first but as time went on

into study nights, into community volunteering. She couldn't afford to drown.

nted to cut everything off, she started hunting for job immediately she left school so she could foot

never r

flash across her screen, so

st one night, that he had snapped under pressure. But she

him nothi

obs were rare and competition was fierc

orate trousers, her CV freshly printed and sealed. The interview was long

ed that

skin a deeper brown, and her shoes had made her ankle

er mum called soft

d through the air her mother'

ead on the armrest, eyes clos

. Leah came and

ng to tell you,

didn't op

was

s snapp

pulled wire. "What is he

on her arm. "He just came to check on us... to say

m. I can't acc

harp but trembl

might not even be alive today. You've been able to focus on school because he took care of

r voice cracking. "But gratitude isn't love. And

ack instantly," her mum said gent

as quiet outside, little boys chasing a footbal

ed up, but sh

s. Maybe that was all he was meant to

sighed b

care of you. Just... please don't ask me to go back to someone who made me

smiled softly,

But I'm don

ped inside, gently clos