In the Wake of Truth

e's

glass shattering, each shard catching a different refle

nder. Or maybe it's the way the ground suddenly feels like

ur days-stiff suits, bland hotel breakfasts, investor pitches. But I finished the

even a little turned on. I wanted to be spontaneous again. The wife

ent al

"too tempting to function." My heels in one hand, the wine in the other. My heart humming wit

m and bathed in the soft golden hue of the lamp, was wrong. J

ing fe

The wine clinked softly in my hand as I moved closer ahead. The antici

I hea

mo

eep. F

e? His phone? Maybe he fell asleep to something inapp

ouder. More urge

ped th

bleeding onto the marble floor like a wou

inside me

e last. My fingers brushed the wall, searching for something solid to hold o

spilled into the hallway like a secret. From inside, I heard it-soft ga

e, like prayers at

e wine, still holding onto hope like a fool with a gift in my

uth, m

t of my heart th

d the d

orld...

t slow-it

neath the soft petals of springtime roses. The man whose laughter had filled

was a s

to us-not borrowed, not stolen, not given away like an unbearable song. His b

ite, desperate. And his mouth-oh My God-his mouth was pressed into her soft delicate

Legs tangled at his hips, hands holding unto his backside. She moved with him-fluid, fevered, soft-as if

s failed me, my body a vessel of nothing but shock and di

soft, now rumbled in my ears, drow

s required belief, and all I had was disbelief-pure,

en-she

er head, her eyes catching

g. Her face was a blur, but her eyes-sh

to cover herself. Nathan blinked, confused at first. His body sti

changed in

The damage had been done. The room, once

rds barely scraping past

His mouth opened, but nothing came out. The woman-

burned into my mind, her body twisting as she scrambled to escape w

hasty departure at first, too stu

at fel

andoned on the marble floor, like a cruel re

sped it, the weight of it pulling me back into the moment. The bracelet was still

rds, but they faltered before they could take shape. "Jane... please, you didn't see her face." His e

His words trailed off, a choked breat

have said. The silence that followed was worse than any confession. It was t

only thing I could do was clutch the bracelet tighter, feeling the cold metal dig into my palm, grounding me

ack to that fractured moment. But I had to go. The dreadful silence in that room was too much, and as I

e cold, familiar bracelet-the one th