(A month later)As the days go by, I find myself noticing more things about Jessica that I didn't see before. Observing just how emotionally closed off she was. She hardly ever talks and only spoke whenever spoken to. Her eyes seemed distant whenever she was lost in thought as if she was standing alone in some far-off place. And occasionally when she wasn't aware, I caught sadness in them. A sadness that she tries so hard to hide. She would smile whenever it was required, but it never reached her eyes. It was as if she was putting on a show, pretending to be ha ppy, when in reality, she was anything but. Her distance from me only grew worse after her panic attack. It was as if she was afraid to be vulnerable in front of me and afterward, she acted like the incident didn't even happen at all. Still, I couldn't help but think of how s he felt in my arms. She seemed so small and fragile, and yet so strong in her way. I wanted to keep her safe, to shield her from the world and all its d
The sun beats down on my skin as I make my way home with Sophie beside me, beads of sweat rolling down my neck into my clothes and my hair sticking to my back. The hot air is thick and oppressive and I'm struggling to breathe with my throat parched. I'm so exhausted."I'm hungry," Sophie mutters beside me and I look down at her. She's squinting up at me, a frown on her face. We hadn't eaten anything since yesterday except for the school's lunch which tasted terrible. It's only natural that she'll be hungry."Maybe there's food at home," I tell her, keeping my voice hopeful. She groans at the statement. That hasn't happened in a while. Letting out a sigh, we continue walking till we get to our house. That's when I hear it... Or better still, Sophie and I. My dad is yelling at Mom again, but this time Mom is yelling right back. There's a huge crashing sound and suddenly everywhere falls silent. My heart lurches in my chest and I start panicking. Without thinking, I run into the house,
I'm still talking when I feel a weight settle on my shoulders. Stopping slightly, I turn around to see Jessica already asleep, her grip on the mug weakening. I take that from her, and her hands fall to the side and she snuggles even closer. As she slowly drifts off to sleep on my shoulder, I can't help but stare at her in amazement. Her face is soft and relaxed, her breathing steady and calm. The light from the moon casts a gentle glow on her skin, making her look even more beautiful than usual. The pounding in my heart intensifies.I can feel her weight against me, but it's a welcome sensation. It's as if she trusts me enough to let her guard down and surrender to slumber. I can't help but feel a wave of tenderness wash over me as I watch her sleep.As I stare at her, I notice things I may have missed before. The delicate curve of her lips, the way her eyelashes fan out against her cheek, the subtle rise and fall of her chest. It's as if I'm seeing her for the first time, and I'm fal
After Devon returned to the table pissed, I leave to confront Evelyn about it. But I don't meet her directly, she sees me walking to the bathroom and follows after me. I ignore her, making sure to note that she is indeed following after me. I enter the ladies' restroom, walking straight to the mirror and checking the way I look. The door opens and Evelyn walks in right after, looking furious."Didn't I tell you to stay away from my husband?" I ask, not turning to face her. She freezes at the doorway, the look on her face is one of disdain. Then claps back almost immediately."Oh, shut up. We both know this isn't real and you sure as hell don't love him!" Sparing her a glance, I let out a scoff. I shrug, fluffing out my hair. "Wow, I'm offended. That you still think this way about me. Why though? Why do you think it's not real?" Her eyes narrow and she clenches her fists but doesn't say anything else."You know it isn't. Stop deceiving yourself. Sooner or later you're going to reveal j
Wait... What?Shocked, I stare at him, my heart pounding like a relentless drum. He takes a slight step back but his eyes never waver from mine. I swallow, getting lost in the honey-glazed eyes staring back at me. Unbiddenly, my gaze drops to his lips but I quickly take it away, refusing to be drawn to the allure of them.H-how is that even possible?" I stutter out and he groans, shrugging."It just has. This is why I've been avoiding you. I don't know why, I don't know how all I know is that this is how I feel and it is very uncomfortable... Excruciating even. Until I can figure out what to do about it, I'll be staying away from you." He states and I almost feel disappointed.With that, he pulls away from me and a strange feeling of emptiness overwhelms me. Almost like I didn't want him to leave. His hands reaches up, softly grazing his neck as he stares at me."Now that you know, can I leave for work?" He asks and I nod, feeling heat rise to my cheeks as I see the intense look in hi
"Jessica?" Devon calls out, snapping me out of my trance. I immediately push my gaze up to his face, ignoring the burn I feel on my cheeks. "What are you doing here?""U-um, I want to invite you for dinner. It's ready," I stutter out, feeling as breathless as a schoolgirl in a boy's room. I shouldn't be feeling like this. "I didn't hear your voice, so I came in. I should have known you were occupied. I'm sorry for intruding.""Oh, it's no big deal," he says, an easy smile on his face. "Let me just get dressed, and I'll be up in a minute." He answers. I let out a quick nod before turning on my heels and bolting out of his room, my heart pounding inside of me. The image of Devon's partly unclad body forever burned into my mind.Before I get to the table, however, I wipe all the traces of my flustered self and wear a composed look on my face. Devon joins us much later, dressed in a simple grey cardigan and a fitting glass. We say a quick prayer before digging into the food before us.As
The weekdays slowly fly by and before long, another weekend is upon us. As usual, I expect a normal boring Saturday of me just lazing around but all of that is about to change. We have just finished breakfast and I go back to my room for a quick change of clothes. When I return back to the living area, I meet Devon and Emma in an intense conversation. They quickly break off when they see me descend the stairs, both trying to wear a neutral look on their faces.I slow down on my steps, eyeing both of them warily. "What's going on?"Emma exchanges glances with Devon before rushing to meet me, a suppressed grin on her face. Devon and I are just discussing," she says when she reaches my side. I cast a long look at Devon, who starts taking his coffee, putting on a big show of scrolling through his phone. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something," she says, interrupting me."What is it?""So, there's this new amusement park that opens a while back, and all my classmates have been there, sa
"Your name... it used to be Marie Quinn, didn't it?" Evelyn utters, her voice a chilling whisper that pierces through the air like a knife.Time stands still as her revelation sinks in, the words hanging in the air. The blood in my veins runs cold, icy tendrils of fear snaking their way through my body.How did she know that!?She sees my reaction, and a sinister smile appears on her lips as she continues to glare at me. I swallow, doing my best to calm my racing heart. "How did you know that?" I ask, my voice clipped."Remember Zachary Donovan? That bastard was my husband. You were the whore he kept." She states, and my heart skips multiple beats. Although I'm terrified, I do my best not to allow it to seep to the surface. Steeling my expression, I cock my head to the side, pretending to be lost in thought but every nerve in my body is on high alert."Oh, that guy. He talked about you a lot while having sex with me," I say."What I also know is that you killed him," she throws at me,