Semua Bab Her poison, His antidote : Bab 1 - Bab 6

The screen glowed an unsaved number. The drop in my stomach was so violent it felt like falling from a tree. The warmth vanished, replaced by a wash of disappointment. it wasn’t him. He was probably still asleep, untroubled, or already charming someone new in his office. I was an idiot. “Hello?” My voice was like that of a stranger, rough with sleep and lost hope. "Ava Thompson?" A woman’s voice, bright, and professional, "This is Clara Vance from The Modernist Group. I am so sorry for the early call!" A client. A potential client, The words registered somewhere in the logical part of my brain, but they bounced off quickly to the cold hurt that filled every other part of me. She was talking about my latest art series, my Fragmented Light series. She was at the studio and She would love to pop in. My studio!, The word flashed image of canvases, the smell of colours, a version of myself with paint in hair and purpose in eyes. The ache in my chest pulsed, a reminder o

My thumb slid across the screen, not to answer, but to send the call to a silence deeper than any voicemail. I powered the phone off. The world didn’t end. The pavement beneath my feet stayed solid. I took the third step, then the fourth and more. One minute I walked out of Alberth lounge then the next I was collapsing into the backseat of a pigoet, gasping for air. The taxi ride home was a blur of streetlights and a low hum of radio talk. I kept the phone off, a dead weight in my lap. The silence it represented felt like the only thing I controlled. Back in my apartment, the stillness was a physical presence. I toasted a slice of bread, forced down a few bites, the food tasting like ash. The act felt ridiculous, nourishing a body that housed a completely shattered spirit. But I did it anyways. The thought of Eleanor’s offer enveloped me,how she spoken, how she looked at me…I didn’t deserve any of this from both Austin and his mother,I thought of her last statement, “He

My mind was a jumble of confusion as i tried to piece together the events of the night before. The stranger…..the one whose car i had entered. I hurriedly got off the bed, Austin’s house wasn’t the best place to be right now. As I tried to move, my head swam violently, and i almost fell due to the alcohol i took the previous night. I steadied myself against the nightstand, my heart hammering against my ribs. How did I get here? Of all places... The soft, gray sheets, the crafted art on the walls, it was undeniably his. A wave of nausea, unrelated to the hangover, washed over me. I needed to leave before he found me here. The memory of our last encounter was a fresh wound, and this was the last place i ever wanted to be. Tiptoeing unsteadily, i picked up my shoes and made my way to the bedroom door, which was slightly ajar. Peeking through the crack, i saw the spacious living room and a figure asleep on the large sofa. It was him. The stranger. Holding my breath, I crept past