LOGINEmmaThe anxiety tightens in my chest as I step through the front door, my heels clicking softly against the floor. The apartment greets me with its usual silence, though today the silence feels almost unbearable.All I need is a good sleep to forget my horrible day at work. My earlier near fight with my mom, sets my heart pounding.The hallway light comes on. I slip off my shoes, feeling the cool floor beneath my feet as I carry my bag and shoes to my bedroom.I don’t bother with the living room lights or the kitchen. The silence presses against me, and I want to hide from it, retreat to the one place that’s always been mine, my bedroom. The door creaks open with a slight push of my shoulder, and I flick on the bedside lamp. The soft light spills over the room, and I drop my bag onto the bed with a sense of heaviness that I can’t quite shake. My blouse is sticking to my back from the subway ride, I still haven't fixed my car since it broke down but it’s the least of my concerns. T
KnoxI rise from my chair, moving toward Gina, the curiosity bubbling up inside me. This is not her usual spot or place to hang out. Normally, she prefers clubbing hard, where the light hits her just right, but today she’s in a shadowed corner at the back of a lounge. It’s unlike her, and I can’t help but wonder what’s behind the change.Before I can take a step closer, a familiar voice interrupts my thoughts.“Hey, there you are,” Ben says.I turn to find him walking into my line of sight, his usual easy smile in place, though there’s a hint of something heavier in his eyes today. Seeing Ben for the first time in six months hits differently. I've been too busy to see friends or chill out. It's been Emma, work and then Gina and her constant nagging.We exchange a firm handshake, like we used to in the past and then he slides into the seat across from me. The chair scrapes lightly against the wooden floor. I sit back down, but my attention drifts back toward Gina, to see what she's
KnoxMy heart beats faster, and I grip the edge of the table, as though I might lose my balance if I let go. “You can talk to me,” I say to Emma. “I still have time to spare.”Just then, I feel a vibration against my thigh. I glance down at my pocket. “Please hold on, baby,” I tell her softly, without thinking. She nods, and with a gentle, practiced hand, I pull out my phone. Ben’s name lights up the screen, and I answer immediately.“Ben,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.“Knox,” he replies, his voice sharper than usual. “I think I found something on Monica.”Excitement rushes through me, so fast I almost choke. My lips tug into a smile, unbidden and uncontrollable. “Are you serious?” I ask, knowing the answer already but needing to hear it confirmed.“Yeah,” Ben says. “Your ex-wife sure knows how to cover her tracks. But this time, she slipped.”I glance at Emma, who’s hunched over her laptop, her fingers typing quickly, lost in whatever task she’s focused on. She doesn’t not
EmmaMy heart races so fast, I swear it might burst. The thought of staying completely away from Knox is unbearable. How do I get fucked when I'm horny?I can’t imagine a single day without him, without the sound of his voice, without the way he looks at me as though I am the only thing that matters. I stand there, frozen in front of my mother, my mind struggling to make sense of the words, my body fighting to move.“I can’t just pack up and leave with you like I’m some toddler,” I finally manage to say. My voice is shaky, and I hate how it sounds. It doesn’t match how I feel inside.Mom crosses her arms over her chest, lifting her chin with a look I know all too well. It’s the one she always wears when she’s made up her mind about something. “Newsflash, Knox and I are getting a divorce.”The words hit me harder than I expected. But instead of the sadness or shock I thought I would feel, something else bubbles up inside me. It’s almost wild, a kind of unexpected joy that catches me
EmmaI feel the thirst gnawing and impossible to ignore as I sit down, I just went out to grab a file I left in my car.I drop it on my desk, still feeling thirsty. Then I push away from my desk, the chair scraping quietly against the floor, and walk toward the break room. The office is quieter than usual today, almost empty, and that silence unsettles me. I don’t want anyone to notice me right now. The last thing I need is another round of snickering laughter or whispered remarks behind my back, the way it happened before. The sound of it still lingers in my mind sometimes.When I reach the break room, I’m relieved to find it empty. The quietness wraps around me like a strange kind of safety. I stand there for a moment, just breathing, then move toward the water dispenser. My hand shakes slightly as I fill a glass. I lift the glass to my lips and take a long, deep sip. The coolness spreads through my throat, easing some of the burn, and for a second, it’s the only thing that feel
KnoxI sit behind my desk, rage cursing through my veins.Gina stands there in the doorway. Before I can even form a word, she slams the door shut so hard that the sound echoes through my chest like a gunshot. The air in the room turns thick instantly, charged with the kind of tension that always seems to follow her.She marches straight toward the table where I keep my papers spread out, her heels clicking against the floor in a rhythm that matches the frustration building inside me. I watch her approach, noting the way her shoulders are set back in defiance, the slight flush on her cheeks that could be anger or something else entirely. My hands tighten around the edge of the desk as I try to control my anger.."Gina," I say, my voice low and edged with the fury I cannot quite hide, "where the hell have you been the past few days?" She stops right in front of the table, close enough that I catch the faint scent of her perfume, the one that always lingers long after she leaves. G
KnoxThe sound of Gina's voice tickles my senses, and suddenly my imagination fades into nothingness.I struggle to push myself up from the bed but my arms gave up, and I fall back with a grunt.“Oh no! my love, are you alright?” she asks in concern.I can hear the hurried sound of footsteps rushin
EmmaI feel the wave of embarrassment wash over me as I step out of his room. He slams the door to my face. I bat my eyelids, feeling a rush of anger flowing through my veins.Like a child whose candy was snatched, I stamp my feet in frustration, groaning in pain.His rejection makes me feel worse
KnoxLivid with rage, I fix her a hard stare. “I am sorry about it,” she says, her voice trembling. I could see the fear gleaming in her eyes, which I care less about.I shot to my feet and begin to pace the length of the living room. “Please, it wasn't intentional,” she pleads, getting to her f
EmmaMy head jerks up. His question strikes me like a slap, I never saw it coming. My thoughts scrambles for balance.“What do you want from me?” Knox repeats the question. His gray eyes pins on my face.The atmosphere turns to a tight coil of tension, and the air feels heavy with silence.I try to







