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Lena was half-asleep on the couch when the banging started.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh95LwC1Ldc
At first it was distant. Like part of a dream.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14WH2sc6S8
But it got louder.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfJHb5TD2f
Her eyes snapped open.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJccjeA4KV0
More pounding.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotBod4pgsY
“Lena! Open the door!”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfBp3WnZbh
She blinked, disoriented, the blanket twisted around her legs.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBEdi1pM7a
Marcus.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61KAK5AZrM
Of course.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIALQlDCABs
She clenched her teeth, pulling the blanket over her head.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOou6iifZj
“Go away,” she mumbled into the fabric, knowing he couldn’t hear.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpTDDPnV4i
The knocking kept going.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhAQzOKaqf
Then it stopped.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglSADv7iSM
For a second she felt relief, sagging back into the cushions.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSicXe4t0vm
But the door handle rattled.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQN9NaqObv7
“Lena, I swear to God, if you don’t open this door”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LGRh2Kmrv
She growled under her breath. Forced herself up.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElRfc7q1gI
The room tilted. She hadn’t eaten since yesterday.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrMZrprs4q
She shuffled to the door. Undid the lock with shaking fingers.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6bfaDpZtJ
The second the latch clicked, Marcus pushed it open.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35TEl1kQQn
He looked her up and down.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVAsQt6WRs
She was in the same sweatshirt she’d been wearing for three days. Hair matted on one side. Face pale. Eyes sunken.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzdw6L4OPd
“Jesus, Lena,” he breathed.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rypSgWEpK
She scowled. “Don’t start.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXnpK9fbIM
Marcus stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2stxpYetLJ
“I’ve been calling you for two days. Are you kidding me?”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHjVCGIDBv
She turned away, dragging herself back to the couch.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQylGKSR7P
“I didn’t feel like talking.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJqi1UUmBL
“Clearly,” Marcus snapped.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwN6zxeMyUN
He followed her into the living room, taking in the mess. Old takeout containers, mugs with mold blooming inside them, piles of dirty laundry.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQUUeXwrN8
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnPqMHRiGL
“Have you even been outside?”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdxW9jRZQW
Lena didn’t answer.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiDqOj0Olm
Marcus’s voice cracked a little. “Talk to me.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXpiwX1kSD
“I don’t want to.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yhkDBdCTy
“Tough shit,” he snapped, voice suddenly hard. “You don’t get to shut me out like this.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlUOmwELWY
Lena flinched.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwWRBzR0lW
He saw it.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooi9IXV1JG
He exhaled shakily, lowering his voice.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixzOqZqGG9
“Look,” he said, softer now. “I’m not here to judge you. I just—God, Lena. You scared me.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzJXosBYvc
She sank into the couch cushions like she was trying to disappear.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwo39OL10H
He crouched down in front of her, elbows on his knees.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvwuhvsCDJ
“Tell me,” Marcus said. “Please.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0byyhmk8JC
Her lip trembled.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDru8HsVR4V
“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.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNj4QuadS80
Marcus closed his eyes.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKX7QTY5dt
When he opened them, they were wet.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6JzrBzYWy
“I know,” he said quietly. “I know it feels like that. But you don’t have to do it alone.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE37ZuMDAeZ
She let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t make this some cheesy intervention.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTF91tcGTN6
“It’s not cheesy.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7PKFWMK9l
“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.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qoNwLc23V
He didn’t back away.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZqr41R1lr
“I’d rather watch you fall apart than not see you at all.”
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVyL4PBvyg
Lena’s breath hitched.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAgqZxxvnm
Her eyes filled.
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She wiped them angrily on her sleeve.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0R518KJmJ
Marcus reached out carefully, resting a hand on her knee.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNBUh2MIIA
She didn’t push him away.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uSmYAyt1o
They sat there in silence.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0khBs1v2ma
Outside, the city was still dark from the blackout.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZc2tamTdt
Inside, it was quiet in a way that wasn’t empty anymore.
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCprbizsiJ9
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDtW4dRrZL
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFc4JFYrhK
458Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuA9wfMg14
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. 💛
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