"Haze?" I hesitantly responded to his call. Since the party, we hadn't spoken. I felt embarrassed, not knowing how to approach him after leaving him alone there. "Are you still mad at me?" he asked, surprising me. "What do you mean?" I replied, feeling a bit awkward. "I left early; I didn't wait for you at the table. I was so embarrassed for what I've done, and I was still contemplating whether I should call you," he explained. My lips parted slightly as I stared at my dinner. I hadn't realized that he had left too. Instead of admitting that I had also left, I had just remained silent. "I'm really sorry," he apologized. I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I didn't wait long anyway," I lied. I couldn't tell him that I had also left the party, as he might ask who I left with or how I left, considering I didn't have a car, and I was unfamiliar with the area. I definitely couldn't reveal anything about my situation with Lucas either. "How about you treat me to coffee?" I suggested t

I sat at the gutter, staring blankly at our burned house. I hadn't had a decent night's sleep since that night when I heard about the fire. My head was pounding, but I couldn't bring myself to leave. I had to take care of everything because there was no one else to help me. I wiped away the tears that had rolled down my cheeks. My phone buzzed, and I picked it up without much energy. I stared at it until it stopped vibrating, unable to muster the strength to check the message. I felt drained as I sat down on the curb in front of the house, unable to hold back the tears that had welled up inside me for days. I couldn't even begin to process my feelings because I was so consumed by all the things I needed to do to seek justice for what had happened. I had a strong suspicion that this was no accident. It couldn't be just a fire. I knew it was related to the gunshot I heard when Lucas called me. I felt nothing but guilt because I didn't call him during those hours. I'm guilty because

I blew on the food I was about to feed Lucas. He can be quite stubborn and insisted on leaving the hospital as soon as possible, so now we're in his condo unit. "I can feed myself. Just leave the food there," he ordered. He showed no reaction when I gave him a sideways glance. I sighed and ignored his comment. When the food on the spoon had cooled a bit, I brought it to his mouth. "Why don't you just leave my condo, Aurora? I have hands, and there's nothing lacking in me to feed myself or take care of myself." "I never said you didn't have hands. Just eat this," I calmly replied, cutting him off. "You need to take your medication after finishing this meal. Once you're done, you can rest again." As long as I can handle being with him without us getting into an argument, I'll do it. I understand the situation better, so I'll stay as long as I can. "Leave me alone," he firmly stated. He had been treating me this way for several days since he woke up. I let it slide because, so far,

"I'm willing to help, Lucas. Why don't you want to accept help? Is it because of your pride?" I couldn't help but ask. I set down my second beer on the table and slouched in front of him. He had already downed two buckets of beer, while I had only consumed two bottles, and yet he still appeared sober. It was embarrassing, considering the low alcohol content of the drinks we were having, but here I was, feeling tipsy. "It's not that I don't want to accept your help. It's just better if you stay quiet and pretend not to know anything because it will only make things harder for me if you're involved and become part of the problem I have to think about, on top of the kids," he explained. I furrowed my brow and tilted my head slightly. "Kids?" I asked. "What kids, and what do they have to do with this?" He shook his head. "Just like I said, stay out of it. Do whatever you want, but please don't try to involve yourself in the problems I'm dealing with. As much as you can, stop being cur

I couldn't look at Lucas while we were having breakfast at his mini dining table in his condo kitchen. Even though I was drunk last night, I remembered everything. The memory of waking up in each other's arms added to the mix. I just hoped he didn't know about it because I woke up first. I tried to glance at him, but I was the first to avert my gaze when I met his eyes, which seemed to be waiting for me to look at him. "I'm full—full already," I stammered, lowering the utensils I was holding. I didn't know how to act now after what happened between us. "I'll be heading back to my condo later. Maybe I won't come here anymore—" "Is it because of what happened last night?" he interrupted. "Am I bad at sex?"I hesitated and then blurted out, "No—no," almost shouting, which surprised him. I swallowed hard and continued, "You're doing just fine. I mean, you don't need someone to take care of you anymore. I'll stop running the case like you want. I'll just be quiet—keep quiet," I adde