His Regret, My Benefit.

ela

t, an unstoppable steady ache for which even the faintest of sounds cut like a shard of glass. Sharp fume

half-closed eyes. Cruel brightness that burns to ashes chances of staying in a cocoon of bli

oment before, was suddenly hammering in my chest as rea

s sent a wash of fire and shame through me. Fragments of memory - like slivers of broken glass - swirled within reach and th

o

bed, a space that was previously forbidden for my gaze to

in the morning light, and his tangled brown hair stuck out at odd angles as if my hands had been tangled in it. My throat was

is

lly around the room. Marble, cream-colored walls embracing a wall of glass, windows to the floor and from the floo

pened?" My whisp

his lips as he rolled onto his side. My heart leape

ly staring into the other's face, where neither could speak due to shock. T

his husky, sleepy

as my knuckles went white. "I-I don't

he motion. He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes narrowing while h

feed the panic blooming into

avy silence. My head jerked in its direction, and my heart ra

or bur

shing light bright. Noises, eardrum-splitting sounds, questions, jacked-up clicks

shoving a microphone toward me. "Is it

emanded. "A lover? A s

. My hands were digging for the edge of the sheet, yanking it up to my neck to c

as blood, with his jaw tightly clenched, he was glaring

ombarded me. I felt like some wild animal in a cage, every

no

om fell silent. My gaze shot to the doorway, a wave of relief washing over me, and the

now!" she snapped, one accusing

ency like some herd of wildebeests gone berserk.

ide, peering at me with wide, dark, worried eyes. "Angela," she said in a sof

flew around, grasping at an explanation, but only shards

know," I fin

n then, her face harde

is jaw. "Look, I don't know any more than you do. I was

. "And then I woke up

rossing her arms. "Angela, do you have any idea what kind of dam

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight

ow, my voice a little steadier. "I.

ebrow. "You think? Angela, this isn't some small, inconsequential mistake; this is a PR ni

k," he said, with an even voice. "I'm sorry about all of this. I am. However, I don't

? Thank you, Captain Obvious." Moving forward a step, she snared him wi

say something. But I couldn't see his eyes. A moment later, he let

behind him, leaving th

Angela," she said in a softer tone, "what are we going to do? You

wirling inside me like a storm. She was right. T

trol strategies, I couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in my gu

is felt like the b