50. Stripped
Zander
I stood in the driveway long after the SUV disappeared around the corner. The taillights had faded into the night, but I kept staring down the empty road like I could will the vehicle back by sheer force of will. My jaw throbbed where Marcus had landed his best shots. Blood had dried on my split lip and chin, and every breath sent a sharp reminder through my bruised ribs. None of it mattered. The only thing that hurt was the look on Mara’s face as she glanced back at me through that rear window; like her whole world was being ripped away again.
The house behind me felt too quiet. Too empty. The flowers she had watered only yesterday swayed gently in the breeze, mocking me with their normalcy. I had built something real here with her. Something worth every risk. And i
