The cold night air burned my lungs as I dragged from the cigarette.I didn’t even smoke….I never had.But tonight, I needed something to burn, something to choke down the chaos clawing up my throat.I stood near the side of the courtyard, hidden between tall hedges, the glowing tip of the cigarette bright against the dark.My hands shook hard as I brought it back to my mouth.I exhaled slowly.Smoke drifted up into the sky, thin and grey, vanishing like everything else that ever belonged to me.“If your mother ever catches you doing that,” a voice said behind me, calm and venomous, “she won’t be nearly as gentle as I am.”“Dad!” I said, dropping the cigarette and crushing it under my heel, brushing ash off my palms as I turned.“I just needed to cool off,” I sniffed. “Get the heat out.”My father stood beneath the soft courtyard lights, hands clasped behind his back like a man pretending to be civilised.“I’m sorry for striking you, Bella,” he said suddenly.The words landed wrong. To
Last Updated : 2025-12-06 Read more