gripped the steering wheel with tight fingers, jaw clenched. She sat with her face turned to the windo

she walked briskly inside, her heels clicking against the concrete, then disappearing into the house. He sat in the

ven take off her shoes. She walked straight to the bedro

years of hoping it would be different. From the way she had to act like she didn't care in the ca

ng, really, if the

of the bed, the pillo

ck. Not even a sigh. Just the soft click of the door as she shut it behind her like

. He watched her through the corner of his eye-how she walked up the path, calm, collected,

ed on as she approach

steering wheel, the sound sharp

n't eve

t yelling. Not insults. Just indifference. Like he was invi

here, eyes fixed on the door she'd walked through without looking ba

thing ha

he engine hum beneath him like a quiet reminder that he

ck up. Reached for the

ne again. Pretend he wasn't slowly dying in a

ehind her with a

brewing in his chest. No rain. No thunder.

what

heart pounded, not from sadness-but from anger. From exhaustion. From the pain o

omeone who doesn't

e key. The e

it and wait for her to

pulled away from the hou

tion. Just

wing convenience stores. The city was quiet, but it

own. A small diner still lit up like it was ex

ve him a tired

ded. "

he breathed-really breathed. The weight of the last argument

here to remember who he was before

come and go. Alo

no-frills diner, Richard did

would bring. Maybe a hard c

t, he chos

was a b

as if holding it could somehow keep him grounded. He had spent the last hour watching the world

argument. It was from years of being unseen

ing again. As if he's expectin

der than h

ilence was background noise-Richard turned the ignition and pulled out of the l

ter's

er was loud, blunt, a walking burst of honesty-but he had always been the one person

e of weeks. Life got busy. Ri

sn't a night f

was past midnight. He hesitated for a moment bef

or a minute later, barefoot, wearing

?" he asked, r

first. He just stood ther

k at him and stepp

onto the couch, and

walked into the kitchen.

ichard sa

g room, a cold bottle in Richard's hand,

lly said. "Worse than usual. She got ou

ed slowly.

before. The silence. The coldness. The way Richard

me," Richard sa

od. You needed a break

is beer, voice low. "Is it wrong that

You can love someone and still

or a moment, a better

u can stay here tonight. Hell, stay as lo

ha

ing a ghost. Not for

e first time in a lo

Not whole

tonight, w