Page 12 of Shattered Rhythm

Olivia

The doorbell ringing startles me out of my exhausted daze, but I choose to ignore it. It’s late, and I’m not expecting anyone. My mind is still reeling from the fight earlier, the breakup, and the overwhelming sense of uncertainty that came with it. I’m not heartbroken, but I’m worried about what consequences my decision will bring for my career.

As I make my way down the stairs to grab a bottle of water, a muffled scream echoes through the house, sending shivers down my spine. I reach the landing just in time to see my mother collapsing to the ground.

I freeze in terror for a moment, but my eyes dart towards Liam, who’s standing over her body, holding a knife. The sight of blood everywhere fills me with pure dread, and I feel my heart drop to the pit of my stomach.

“Dad!” I scream.

* * *

Liv

My eyes snap open as I’m still screaming, my body tense with panic. Struggling to catch my breath, I quickly get out of bed and head to the kitchenette for a glass of water. After taking a few deep breaths, I reach for my phone and see that it’s only five am on a Sunday morning. I tell myself it’s early enough to start my day, so I move to the bathroom to brush my hair and teeth, hoping to shake off the nightmare. Just as I slip into some long loungewear and head out of the bathroom to make myself a cup of coffee, a loud knock on my door startles me.

“Fuck,” I mutter to myself.Seems like I woke my neighbor again.

I approach the door, my heart racing with anxiety, and debate for a moment if I should answer the door, but ultimately decide to face him.After turning the lock, I slowly open the door.

“Hey, good morning. Is everything okay?” I ask, attempting to sound casual.

“I heard screaming again and wanted to check on you,” he responds, concern etched on his face, making me feel guilty for waking him up once more with my nightmares.

“Oh, it was just a bad dream again. Sorry for waking you up,” I say, cringing at the thought of burdening him.

Gunner nods, but still seems hesitant to leave. “Do you want to talk about it?” he offers, and I think about it for a bit before declining.

“I don’t, but the least I can do for waking you up again is offer you a cup of coffee,” I say, stepping aside to let him in. He hesitates for a moment before finally coming inside, following me to the kitchenette. I feel his eyes on me as I make the coffee.

As soon as I finish his, I ask, “How do you drink yours?”

“Black, please,” he answers, and I try not to smile.Figures.I turn to make myself another coffee with caramel syrup and milk.

“My mom made me a coffee snob. There’s no good day without good coffee,” I say before I can think better of it, regretting the words as soon as they leave my mouth. Once I have a handle on my feelings, I turn back to face him. He seems to notice my moment of sadness but doesn’t push, instead taking a sip of his coffee.

“Wow, that’s some good stuff. The big ass machine was worth getting up here,” he says, looking at the espresso machine box in the corner of the room. I can’t help but feel self-conscious about all the stuff lying around.

“Sorry about the mess,” I say, gesturing around the room. “I could say I haven’t had time to clean up lately, but if I’m being honest, I’m just a messy person.”

Gunner chuckles, waving it off, and gives me a small smile. “No worries, Liv. I’m not here to judge your cleaning skills.”

“I hope you like to stand while you enjoy your coffee,” I say with a nervous chuckle, realizing that there’s no place to sit except my unmade bed, since I haven’t assembled my desk chair. He smirks and looks at the boxes of furniture on the ground.

“What’s with the furniture? Have you not had time to assemble them lately, or will you admit it’s more likely that you’ll sit on the boxes than assemble them anytime soon?”

I laugh out loud, surprised that he has a sense of humor. He always looks so serious.

“Yeah, well, my bed is great at pretending it’s a couch or a chair, so I’ll just stick with it. But if you want to test out the box, you’re welcome to try,” I say.

“What do you do when you have friends over?” he asks.

“That’s not a problem since I don’t have any,” I answer honestly, shrugging.

He looks at me critically but doesn’t comment, just finishes his cup.

“Thanks for the coffee, Liv, and knock on my door if you need anything, okay?” he says, giving me a small smile before leaving my apartment.

* * *

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