O

father, sitting before the TV, an

l sitting there. Despite the splitting pai

from the bottle. "Wash up and come make bre

. The weak morning light streamed through the curtains at the other end of the room, causing me to shie

mper slipped

her lay on the floor, speckled with dried blood. A clear sign that he'd enjoyed himself last nigh

collection. Yay, I

single tear slid down my cheek. Then another. A

Who would believe that a twenty-seven-year-old man couldn't defend hims

lose. One clean swipe across the w

No more fear. N

the one thing I've desperately cra

fe. It never judged, never hurt-just enveloped. Comforted. At least in the da

arked, bringing me out of

of defiance and hope. I couldn't let him win. Not like this. I wou

Not

r," I m

ed anyway, pocketing the knife with a trembling hand. It wasn'

use of it when need be. At the end of the day, I couldn't even defend

alcohol barely burned anymore. That numbness should've terrif

I headed toward the shower, ignoring my br

hing the water could wash

truggle, but I m

it to him, I headed to the door and as my hand hovered abov

e back without my usual

I just closed the do

a flyer fluttering against it. Now Hiring: Allure Casino – J

anned the QR code on the flyer anyway and applied. Becau

nd the humming fluorescent light. I kept busy-sweeping, wipin

ything was

e east wing, I heard a loud bang. I turned around,

ck

d the handle-no luck. And then there w

rens? No it w

door bu

bundle of muscle, heat, and something electric. I stepped

the gauze one of the nurses had slapped on in haste. He towered

gly handsome in a

ing lighting. Deep, brown eyes-sharp and defended-looked at me with disarming force. A bristling b

if not even more. And yet, something in his eyes spoke of an

d like a cover for somethi

e barely above a whisper. "I-

e scars just above my collar. At the shake in my fin

higher and brought down the sleeves of my

his voice low and authoritative but

to me, handling him gently despit

he asked, a

uietly, looking at t

ghtly, as if

, si

r clean towels or on calling for help. But when I looked

. I didn't know what it was, or what it meant, but I

two universes that should never have int

ted my life was ever