17.1 Vivienne

The next few days passed in a whirlwind of unspoken tension, a palpable silence hanging heavy in the air between Vivienne and Marcus. It wasn't the kind of silence born out of anger or resentment; rather, it was a quiet storm of restrained emotions that seemed to swirl around them, growing more and more tumultuous with each passing moment spent without acknowledging the obvious tempest. Marcus had taken to patrolling the perimeter every morning and night, leaving Vivienne alone with her thoughts throughout the day. The haunting echoes of his footsteps as he treaded the familiar path outside the farmhouse became a constant reminder of the walls he erected around his emotions.

Vivienne hated it. It reminded her too much of her parents. They’d never argued, but she’d often wished that they had. Coming home to the silent home, afraid to walk through the house for fear that one wrong move would shatter the false peace that mom erected every time dad couldn’t control his fists. Keep your he