I hated Andrew.The next morning he was outside our building, waiting for Lila to come down. I really couldn’t stand him or the way he drooled over what was mine. What was the worst was the fact that they were touching.Andrew’s presence was grating. I couldn’t stand having him so close, trying to angle into what was mine. He drove my possessiveness to a new level, one I’d never experienced before.An hour later, when we arrived at the office, I fucked her in the elevator for it, destroyed her panties, and took the scarf that hid my marks. All out of anger, out of spite. There was no way he wouldn’t see and understand, truly, that she wasn’t fucking available.I had her fucking panties in my pocket if he wanted fucking proof of ownership.Still, later that morning, he was fucking leaning against Lila’s desk, forcing me to listen to his inane chatter. The blood pumped violently through my veins as I imagined the brutality I would deliver to his boy-scout face.“Lila, it lo

 I hated alarm clocks. I especially hated them when they were early in the morning and took Lila from my arms.Every morning I awoke with her in my arms was torture when she left them. I watched her slide off the side of the bed, her hair a knotted mess thanks to my hands. Inches of beautiful pale skin speckled with my marks slipped away from my body and into my view.Naked, beautiful flesh for me to drink in. I watched her arms rise above her head, stretching her sinful body. She glanced back to check if I was awake, and our eyes met.No “Good morning” or anything. That wasn’t our style.It was in the way her lips parted. Sometimes she would bite her lower lip, other times her tongue would peek out and wet her lips.I continued to watch as she walked into the bathroom and listened in as she started the shower. My getting up took longer. While she showered, I stretched. It was something I fought against, but it turned out to be the best thing for me to make it through the d

 I fucking hated the pain. Most days it was manageable, but with the spring weather, pills were sometimes my only solace.I’d spent months pretty much blessedly free from migraines, but they seemed to be back with a vengeance. Between the stiffness and pain, I could find no comfort or reprieve.Scar tissue tugged, exacerbating my symptoms. It felt like the black hole I’d lived in for years was swallowing me up again.Lila’s touch seemed the only thing able to soothe me.“This hurts you a lot, doesn’t it?” she asked as she trailed her fingers down my scar.“Yes. There were broken bones, sliced muscle, and chewed-up organs. Lots of damage that left lots of problems.”She felt around at my ribs, digging in a little until she found what she was looking for. Following a line, she counted when she found the remodeling on each rib.“Five?”I nodded. She took hold of my hand and placed it against her ribs on the left side in almost the same spot. The same remodeling bumps, only

 My chest clenched, and I rubbed the spot with firm pressure. A familiar pain was flooding in, and once again it was all my fault.The doors to the elevator closed in front of me, the number twelve disappearing before my eyes, leaving me to stare at my own lifeless reflection. The weight of my decision hovered above me, poised for the right moment to crash down.I saw her long before I ever met her; Lila, my cohort in crime at work and at home. Across a sea of asphalt and cars was where I caught my first glimpse of the woman who would do the impossible and awaken a long dead part of me.She was unassuming, skittish even, captivating me with the way she walked. There was nothing particularly special about it; maybe it was just the way the light reflected in her natural blonde hair. Whatever it was, my eyes were glued to her. She became more intriguing when her demeanor changed as two men approached: her body rigid, pace slowed, and eyes down. It was subtle. Not many would noti

 Days passed, and Lila was still unresponsive, trapped in the recesses of her mind. For the second day in a row, I found myself leaving the office at five and rushing over to the hospital.Work was utter hell. I hated being away from her.Nothing changed in the ten hours since I’d last been there. I walked into the room with quiet steps up to the bed. She looked so peaceful, like an angel. The constant beeping of the machines, along with the low rise and fall of her chest, put to rest the creeping fear that she was gone. I clung to each breath and beat.She was still there, alive, and she would return.I hoped.My hand reached out to move a stray strand of hair from her face, but I stopped myself. It was one thing to see her, to smell her, and to feel her presence. It was another thing entirely to touch her.This is for the best, I reminded myself.I turned and walked back out to the hall. Once there, I leaned on the wall and stared at the room across the hall. A shiver r