JEFFREY
The wind carried the smell of damp earth and flowers. I walked with my hands in my pockets, watching the sway of the trees lining the quiet estate road.
My thoughts were still tangled, Ronald’s past, my spray-painted car, and that crawling anxious feeling in my gut that had only gotten worse today.
I wasn’t ready to go back inside just yet.
There was a small garden up ahead, tucked between hedges. It looked empty. Peaceful, and quiet.
I veered toward it and settled on the wooden bench beneath a tree, letting the breeze touch my skin. For a while, I just sat there, breathing. No sound apart from the rustle of leaves. I closed my eyes and pretended the rest of the world didn’t exist.
Something rustled behind me. I jolted upright- my heart shooting into my throat… only to spot a rabbit darting across the grass. I let out a shaky breath, a small laugh leaving me.
“Jesus,” I muttered.
The rabbit twitched its nose, looked at me, then bolted.
When it disappeared into the shrubs, I f
