Page 52 of Twisted Thorns

Her green eyes glisten, those emerald pools where I once found solace now reflecting only pain and confusion. Her lips part, but it's her soul that seems to shatter, the soundless echo of her heart fracturing beneath the weight of my withdrawal. I watch silently as the tears gather in Avalina's eyes, silently falling down her pale cheeks.

The knife that was currently slicing my heart into ribbons twists as I rise from the chair, the legs scraping against the floor with a harshness screech. The space between us becomes a chasm too perilous to cross. I turn my back on her sobs, each one a lash against the remnants of my composure, branding me with guilt and longing.

"Take care of yourself, Avalina," I murmur, low enough that it's carried away by the murmurs of the oblivious diners around us.

My steps are heavy, weighted by the burden of decisions made in the darkness—a darkness that clings to me, even as I step into the cool night air.

Behind me, Avalina's grief fills the room, a haunting melody that threatens to drag me back. But I cannot falter; I cannot fall.

Avalina

Tears stream down my face unchecked, salt tracing the outline of my lips—a bitter reminder of the taste of Kieran's kiss that I yearn for but may never experience again. The fabric of the plush chair feels alien under my fingertips, a stark contrast to the warmth of his touch that had promised so much more.

"Shh, Avie, let's get you home," Claire's voice is soft, yet it cuts through the haze of my misery. She slides into the seat Kieran vacated, her presence a pale substitute for the man whose absence has hollowed out my chest.

“Claire? What are you doing here?” I ask between gasping breaths, trying to calm my racing heart, to stop the tears that keep flowing.

“Kieran called me.” Claire swallows, sighs. “He told me it was too dangerous for you two to be together, that he was going to end it and wanted me to make sure you got home okay.”

I nod mutely, unable to articulate the storm raging within. Claire wraps an arm around my shoulders, guiding me up and out of the booth. With each step, the remnants of my shattered poise crumble, leaving a trail of sorrow in our wake as we exit the restaurant.

The night air is a slap against my wet cheeks, and I shiver—not from the cold, but from the sudden exposure to a world that feels less familiar without him by my side. Claire's car awaits us, a silent sentinel in the dimly lit parking lot.

"Come on, sweetheart," Claire coaxes, her tone gentle. "Let's go home."

But 'home' is just another word for a place where the echoes of Kieran's goodbye will resonate through empty rooms and sleepless nights—an abode turned mausoleum for a love that was as intoxicating as it was forbidden.

Chapter 27

Avalina

The sun peeks through my curtains, stirring me from restless sleep. An uneasy feeling settles in the pit of my stomach as memories of Kieran flash through my mind. His piercing umber eyes. The warmth of his embrace. The husky timbre of his voice whispering my name.

I reach for my phone, fingers trembling. Countless unanswered calls and messages left on read. I still can't believe Kieran's ignoring me. I wasn't sure when he made his declaration that he was really letting go, but it had been days of no answer. We were so close just last week, bodies and souls intertwined in passion. Now there is only silence. A hollow ache fills my chest, squeezing the breath from my lungs.

I call him again, listening to the dull ring that signals his rejection. When his voicemail picks up, I can't find the words. The line goes dead. My chest tightens, the ache of uncertainty spreading like ink through water.

Defeated, I curl into a ball under the covers, Kieran's scent of whiskey and smoke clinging to my pillow. The memories come unbidden, a chaotic swirl of emotion. His hands roaming my body. Lips tasting every inch of bare skin.

A single tear escapes my eye, tracing a path along my cheek. As if it were a lifeline, I grasp onto the clarity it brings. The cold reality that love alone can't dispel the shadows that exist in Kieran's life.

The ache inside intensifies, threatening to consume me whole. I cling to the fading hope that Kieran will come back to me. That he will make everything right again.

Until then, I am adrift in a sea of sorrow, longing for the man who holds my heart. The man who is slipping further away with each passing day. The man I fear I may lose forever.

A knock sounds on my bedroom door and I look up to see Claire carrying a tray of tea and cookies.

“Morning, Avie,” she says, her voice low and soothing. She sets the tray down on the nightstand and sits on the edge of my bed. "I thought you might need this."

I can feel my face crumbling, and Claire envelops me in a warm hug. I melt into her embrace, the dam breaking once more, as tears stream down my face. Claire murmurs soothing words, stroking my hair until the sobs subside.

"Thanks," I mutter, the word barely able to navigate the tightness in my throat. Claire picks up a steaming cup of tea and hands it to me. The warmth from the cup seeps into my palms, a stark contrast to the cold desolation gripping my heart.

"Drink up," Claire encourages, her own blue eyes brimming with unshed tears for my pain. "And maybe a hot shower will help?"

Nodding numbly, I sip the sweetened tea, the floral notes of lemon balm attempting to calm the storm raging inside me. The cookies are untouched; I have no appetite for anything other than the answers that evade me.

There's a fluttering at the pit of my stomach when the doorbell rings. Iris. Her energy breezes in before she does, a tempest of concern and sisterly love. Yet behind the worry lines on her brow, there's something else—a relief that doesn't quite sit right with me.

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