the smell of butte

all bat. She slowly opened her eyes. The heavy curtains were

space beside her

n her neck stretched. On the mahogany nig

to it sat two slices of golden toast and a crystal glass of milk. Beside the plate was

rp, aggressive handwriting slashed ac

rom yesterday and this twisted, domestic 'heart-shaped' breakfast made bile ris

loor. She picked up the silve

toilet, tilted the plate, and watched the heart-shaped egg and

sucking the food down into the pipes. She wat

waiting for her in the underground garage. He drov

out of the black SUV, she

very movement. She heard fragments of sentences floating in the col

ide of her cheek and kept her eyes locked on the pavement. She needed th

he main plaza in fr

h of microphone feedbac

on the university's board of trustees. Preston was wearing a designer sweater, holding

Preston's voice boo

hones were immediately pulled out, c

nt, arrogant smirk. "I li

ed down the steps, holding the roses out toward her. He

drained from her face, leavi

omance. She saw

a. Somewhere, somehow, Boyd was going to see this. If he thought she was entertaining anothe

stop this i

She walked right up to Preston.

dened. He held the

cold and loud enough for the front row of students to

d by instant, humiliating shock. He had never been rejec

cheers turned into l

just reje

illionaire p

reaction. She turned on her

He dropped the megaphone. "You'll regret t

n into the library, seeking the darkes

y. She pulled her cheap, cracked phone from her pocket. She needed to know if Deshaun was

ered over the

breath. As she looked out the glass, her eyes focused on the tall

ng, a tiny, unnatural fla

lecting off a long

and clattered onto the desk. A pa

d put her on a larger stage, and he was watching eve

age to Deshaun. She couldn't contact anyone. She was