The Stranger in the Frame
222 Words
CHAPTER 22: The Stranger in the Frame
Lena sat alone in Jay’s study, surrounded by shadows and the ticking of the old wall clock. She wasn't sure why she came in—maybe curiosity, maybe the quiet hope of understanding him better.
On the edge of his desk sat a dusty picture frame. The image inside was faded. Two boys stood shoulder to shoulder, one with Jay’s eyes, the other grinning wider than life.
The caption beneath it read: Elijah & Me. 2011.
“Elijah,” she whispered. The name tasted like grief.
The door creaked behind her.
Jay stood in the frame, stiff and unreadable. “You shouldn’t be in here.”
“I wanted to know what you’re hiding,” she said, voice calm.
His eyes darkened. “That’s not something you want to carry.”
“Try me.”
He crossed the room slowly, standing beside her. “Elijah was my younger brother. He looked up to me... even when he shouldn’t have. One night, I let him walk into a trap meant for me.”
Lena’s breath caught. “You blame yourself?”
Jay’s voice was ice. “Because it was my fault.”
She didn’t offer empty comfort. Instead, she touched his arm—silent, steady.
It was the first time he didn’t flinch from her touch.
- Writer
