Jayden’s brain hailed warnings which she tried to process. She dragged out her strategies for coping, sifting through each one until exhaustion threatened. It seemed such a familiar routine, fighting her demons with courage and determination. Yet they always returned, laughing in her face at low points and reactivating the same destructive tapes in her mind. With a groan of defeat, Jayden slumped onto her mattress and put her face in her hands.
The leather of Ed’s pants swished as he left the room, leaving a curious emptiness behind him. Jayden acknowledged a twinge of regret. She jumped as he reappeared and crouched in front of her. “Here,” he whispered. A wad of toilet roll appeared in her peripheral vision. “You’re still bleeding.” He sat next to her and the mattress dipped.
Jayden us
