vin

broken to move, too hollow to cry. My body throbb

of someone who had done it far too many times. He gathered me in his arms,

d me with unnerving gentleness. He carried me to the

ub, careful now, as if that would so

rling into the air like smok

ut I remained cold numb in a

d. Not just with h

vina," he murmured, voice low and syrupy, a

uised skin with unsettling tendernes

t you mad

gut. I clenched my jaw, holding the scream that wanted to rip through me.

o mercy, and silence

ery muscle locked tight, un

cking like he was the one bearing the pai

d crumpled. Tears rolled down his cheeks, ca

nothing. Th

and again. Rage. Remorse. Prom

ispered, the words trembling with what mi

ill lacing through my spine. But I didn

ore his apologies, his regret, his de

read in the noose tigh

is voice breaking as he brushed

ture might have looked t

r form of control.

see it's

pathy. No sorrow. Just the cold, festering hatred I carried for

" he asked, voice trembling bu

e hammering in my ears. The w

my hair in a grotesque imitation o

word laced with poison. "She ruined everything. Ruined

he kind that set alarm bells ringing deep in my chest. His sobs weren't new they we

arms like a vice. The embrace was suffocating, his

giveness? Submi

hing left

reamed. But it was the ache inside the hollo

begging me not to ruin him.

me? Who would hold

control he felt slipping through his fingers. They were

ways ha

eets twisted around my limbs like chai

uneasy. Her presence stirred something

the truth

ed, it wou

. It was fire without control, fury without l

ousy would consum

there would be no