x
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBtk2stRT7
Lena was half-asleep on the couch when the banging started.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjYmvIlzcb
At first it was distant. Like part of a dream.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIgeCOSxmo
But it got louder.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcVtnUZq6p
Her eyes snapped open.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3v41OzuCwT
More pounding.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEgEWcEAuN
“Lena! Open the door!”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcte1QaTQlP
She blinked, disoriented, the blanket twisted around her legs.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenv3fD6cW2
Marcus.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYRY9rfVyz
Of course.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPg1mJaOTe
She clenched her teeth, pulling the blanket over her head.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokgonzojiz
“Go away,” she mumbled into the fabric, knowing he couldn’t hear.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxquxvYQSLz
The knocking kept going.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDJuHjmYwK
Then it stopped.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEhgiNEH57
For a second she felt relief, sagging back into the cushions.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3wkoZ4Ypv
But the door handle rattled.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHQyosudwq
“Lena, I swear to God, if you don’t open this door”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttNvRyS8Cj
She growled under her breath. Forced herself up.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oKZyZHY9h
The room tilted. She hadn’t eaten since yesterday.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DHprEYQeR
She shuffled to the door. Undid the lock with shaking fingers.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOLbAI8lF8
The second the latch clicked, Marcus pushed it open.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd06eOdQfp1
He looked her up and down.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAgmKkjPUt
She was in the same sweatshirt she’d been wearing for three days. Hair matted on one side. Face pale. Eyes sunken.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EOcJDgHqv
“Jesus, Lena,” he breathed.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKB3QoyIeV
She scowled. “Don’t start.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEygorrmKL
Marcus stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaoQ7zeP9w
“I’ve been calling you for two days. Are you kidding me?”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDSw6O6BHh
She turned away, dragging herself back to the couch.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRdpN4mgxM
“I didn’t feel like talking.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLV4F1YiZW8
“Clearly,” Marcus snapped.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpECBLawSRB
He followed her into the living room, taking in the mess. Old takeout containers, mugs with mold blooming inside them, piles of dirty laundry.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuw6xTLb8D
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbJyrEdupA
“Have you even been outside?”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCabThKp9W8
Lena didn’t answer.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvTnc1W1Bb
Marcus’s voice cracked a little. “Talk to me.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKFiKaM8Wi
“I don’t want to.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7FHjP3nya
“Tough shit,” he snapped, voice suddenly hard. “You don’t get to shut me out like this.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8geQlGwmy
Lena flinched.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPrMAuhGRK
He saw it.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQAgXydhPT
He exhaled shakily, lowering his voice.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNI0u6ESRj
“Look,” he said, softer now. “I’m not here to judge you. I just—God, Lena. You scared me.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT913yWtxk
She sank into the couch cushions like she was trying to disappear.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMZID6Trp3
He crouched down in front of her, elbows on his knees.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTmvL5v9nq
“Tell me,” Marcus said. “Please.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbaZFftnj5
Her lip trembled.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQE4M00d7Jk
“Everything feels… heavy,” she whispered. “All the time. Like there’s no point in even moving. I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to try.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswUcAM0UiR
Marcus closed his eyes.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZL2zJu9Ga5
When he opened them, they were wet.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jHyYR2YVc
“I know,” he said quietly. “I know it feels like that. But you don’t have to do it alone.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNelp9DNbPu
She let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t make this some cheesy intervention.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJrruYYwn7
“It’s not cheesy.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaRZoObwuC
“It is,” she snapped. “You don’t get it. I’m so fucking tired. And I don’t want to make you watch me fall apart.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZ9MC97lkr
He didn’t back away.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclHzhHePy3
“I’d rather watch you fall apart than not see you at all.”
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPbEnlbEsN
Lena’s breath hitched.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjlWoUxunk
Her eyes filled.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscScRLRMOS
She wiped them angrily on her sleeve.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCMgbHyBgV
Marcus reached out carefully, resting a hand on her knee.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmHTpX4P66
She didn’t push him away.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNkNsuk10d
They sat there in silence.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbCmSSjWsz
Outside, the city was still dark from the blackout.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMj3vXJqcyV
Inside, it was quiet in a way that wasn’t empty anymore.
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LK84XozQJ
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveabaGDdhx
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlU3DtPaLHe
29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiG2ifub573
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This is a fictional story, but the feelings are real. If you’re struggling, you don’t have to go through it alone. 💛
ns216.73.216.91da2
