LOGINThe parking lot was quiet, dark in the early hours of the morning as a small cluster of women filed out of the metal doors of SubTerra, under the watchful gaze of Elford and one of Simon’s new hires. Anja and Zoe walked together, tugging their long coats tightly around themselves as the air nipped at their bare legs.“Was it just me or did Danny fucking reek tonight?” Anja scrunched her nose, rustling through her handbag to retrieve her vape. She sucked in a long draw, a fruity cloud of smoke hiding the amusement tinging her eyes.Zoe laughed, shaking her shoulders dramatically. “He has to have eaten raw fish fresh from the dock.”“Fish is good for you, you know,” Anja mimicked Danny’s gruff voice, Zoe erupting into a fit of giggles. “Omega-3 and all that shit, ya’know. Keeps the brain ticking.”“You got the lecture too?” Zoe laughed, shaking her head as she ran her fingers through her hair. “I was stuck at his table for like ten minutes listening to it.”Anja opened her mouth to spea
“Do you have to go?” he whined. Dark eyes watching intensely from the doorway, studying the way the warm, steady stream trickled over Zoe’s naked body, the trails it left on velvet skin.Laughter tinkled through the tiled bathroom, muffling through the glass of the shower. “I’ve just taken two weeks off. We’re so short-staffed. I think Simon would actually kill me if I called out.” She lathered the cleanser over her face, allowing the water to take with it the dirt and grime she’d failed to wash off last night. “I’ve only got two weeks left, babe.”Resting his shirtless torso against the doorframe, he folded his arms and smirked, following her gaze down his chiseled abdomen. “Two weeks too long,” he huffed. “I hate knowing they’re all there staring at your legs in those tiny shorts, drooling over you.”“Like you did?”“That’s different,” he tutted as the beginnings of a grin tugged the corners of his mouth. “I was in love with you.”Sweet, melodic laughter pealed through the room, the
Sitting in front of the wall of monitors, beady eyes fervently scanning for any signs of movement, the shaggy-haired man let out an exaggerated sigh. Clasping his arm across his growling stomach, he leaned over, the swivel chair creaking at the sudden uneven distribution of weight. Rummaging through the junk-filled drawer beside him, he found the tin of cayenne tuna he’d stored months earlier, in case of an emergency. Cracking it open, he savored the spice as he shoveled a heaping spoonful into his mouth.Her voice echoed through the cold, concrete office. It always shocked him when she spoke – her sweet, timid tone the complete antithesis to the harsh, detached and vindictive orders she barked at him.“You are fucking kidding,” she hissed, slapping the underside of his greasy, disheveled hair. “Do you see a fucking window in here, you fucking moron? You’ll stink up the entire fucking building.”Rolling his eyes in frustration, the man spoke, a mouthful of tuna sloshing between crooke
Burnt orange quilts spilled along the sofa Zoe was curled up on, the warmth of its rays coating her arms and face as she unfurled, stretching aching muscles. Peeking over her shoulder, Zoe stifled a giggle at Anja’s undignified position. Sprawled awkwardly over the recliner, Anja’s neck was twisted uncomfortably, her mouth hanging open as she snored louder than Zoe’s dad. Sun beams danced, licking the ceiling like flames as it inched across the entirety of the lounge room and into the kitchen. As Zoe watched the intricate patterns it made, she relished in the small weight lifted off her shoulders from sharing her secret. Telling Anja had been therapeutic. Someone else knowing exactly what she was dealing with made her feel better, especially because Anja got it. There was no judgment or disapproval, only concern and compassion. She’d reveled in the juicy details of the relationship, sinking into intimate questions Zoe never would have answered had she not consumed almost a bottle of p
Anja pulled two wine glasses from her cabinet the minute they entered her apartment, filling both to the brim with red wine before shrugging off her leather jacket and slumping down into the small two-seater. Zoe followed, removing her shoes and curling her aching feet underneath herself. The wine was cheap, bitter, but Zoe knew the intended purpose was to get her drunk enough to spill the beans. Anja hadn’t been convinced by the narrative of Jon and Zoe’s split, and had pestered her for the entirety of her shift, dancing giddily as she cleaned tables once Zoe had agreed to spend the night at her place.“It was nice to have you back tonight, chicky,” Anja grinned, taking a large gulp of her drink as her head fell back against the sofa. “I was lonely as fuck without you and Sienna there.”“Not going to lie, I didn’t miss it… like at all,” Zoe laughed. “It was nice being back with my family.”Raising perfectly preened brows, Anja pounced on the opportunity to open interrogation. “Sooo…
Their time together in Pittsburgh had only solidified their relationship. Being carefree had been good for them. As they said their goodbyes to Zoe’s family, ending with promises of return, warm embraces and assurances of more contact, there was no way Zoe or Jon could prepare themselves for the eerie discomfort of not knowing what awaited them back in New Jersey. Every mile closer to home sunk them deeper and deeper into silence.By the time they arrived at Jon’s house, there were permanent pathways indented into his dark hair, his fingers scraping through the strands continuously for six hour drive. Her lips stung from the constant chewing. The way Jon’s hand gripped hers, confining her to her seat in the car until the garage door had securely closed, made her uneasy. His insistence of her remaining in the car while he checked the house caused the hairs on her neck to rise. Would this be her life from now on? Constantly checking over her shoulder. Feeling afraid and tense. Waiting i
The moon hung low in a navy sky reflecting in the still lake, a stark contrast to the blood red lights of the haunted house disarmingly flashing behind them. Petrified screams and eerie cackles pierced spirited conversations, eagerly awaiting people impatiently bouncing on the balls of their feet t
Neon rainbows cascaded in rays through an otherwise dim arcade, crowds of people bunching together like sardines in a can, all cramming to play the smorgasbord of lit-up arcade machines while electronica competed with the animated chatter. With his palm splayed across the small of Zoe’s back, Jon d
At some point during the night, Zoe had dozed off, nose buried in the scent of Jon. She was awakened by the bed shifting beneath Jon’s weight. Saying nothing, she rolled toward him, sleepily kissing his beer-tinged lips.“Sorry, baby,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. “I didn’t mean to wak
With a few days of vacation under their belts, Zoe was starting to sleep easier. Jon fell asleep beside her every night, cradling her against his warm chest. Her mother fawned over him, lavishing him with home-cooked meals and cold beers, while he did odd jobs around the house that her father had pu







