The Price Of Us (MM)
O
father, sitting before the TV, an
l sitting there. Despite the splitting pai
from the bottle. "Wash up and come make bre
. The weak morning light streamed through the curtains at the other end of the room, causing me to shie
mper slipped
her lay on the floor, speckled with dried blood. A clear sign that he'd enjoyed himself last nigh
collection. Yay, I
single tear slid down my cheek. Then another. A
Who would believe that a twenty-seven-year-old man couldn't defend hims
lose. One clean swipe across the w
No more fear. N
the one thing I've desperately cra
fe. It never judged, never hurt-just enveloped. Comforted. At least in the da
arked, bringing me out of
of defiance and hope. I couldn't let him win. Not like this. I wou
Not
r," I m
ed anyway, pocketing the knife with a trembling hand. It wasn'
use of it when need be. At the end of the day, I couldn't even defend
alcohol barely burned anymore. That numbness should've terrif
I headed toward the shower, ignoring my br
hing the water could wash
truggle, but I m
it to him, I headed to the door and as my hand hovered abov
e back without my usual
I just closed the do
a flyer fluttering against it. Now Hiring: Allure Casino – J
anned the QR code on the flyer anyway and applied. Becau
nd the humming fluorescent light. I kept busy-sweeping, wipin
ything was
e east wing, I heard a loud bang. I turned around,
ck
d the handle-no luck. And then there w
rens? No it w
door bu
bundle of muscle, heat, and something electric. I stepped
the gauze one of the nurses had slapped on in haste. He towered
gly handsome in a
ing lighting. Deep, brown eyes-sharp and defended-looked at me with disarming force. A bristling b
if not even more. And yet, something in his eyes spoke of an
d like a cover for somethi
e barely above a whisper. "I-
e scars just above my collar. At the shake in my fin
higher and brought down the sleeves of my
his voice low and authoritative but
to me, handling him gently despit
he asked, a
uietly, looking at t
ghtly, as if
, si
r clean towels or on calling for help. But when I looked
. I didn't know what it was, or what it meant, but I
two universes that should never have int
ted my life was ever