I let out a slow, bitter breath, staring down at the whiskey like it might offer absolution.
“I need to know what happened.”
The words scrape their way out, slow and jagged, each one costing more than I want to admit.
“She’s gone.” I say it flatly; no room left for denial.
“Her body’s there. Her face. Her voice. But everything else inside her?” I pause, swallowing hard.
“Gone.”
Silence settles over the room, thick but steady.
David leans back, his elbows resting on the arms of his chair, that quiet patience of his like a steady anchor.
“You thought she’d be the same,” he says simply.
I let out a bitter laugh, short and sharp.
“I never thought I’d see her again,” I admit, the truth pouring out before I can stop it.
“I told myself I’d be angry. That I’d hate her for leaving… for living some carefree life back home.”
I pause, jaw clenched.
“And maybe… a part of me did.”
I glance between them—no mask this time, no walls left to hide behind.
“But the second I saw her again… everything else just burned away.”
I drag in a slow breath, the next words tasting bitter on my tongue, the ache rising in my chest.
“At the club… seeing her like that—” My hand tightens around the glass, the tension reflexive. “It wrecked me.”
My fists clench at my sides, tight and useless.
“I still don’t know how I didn’t tear that bastard apart right there. I wanted to kill him. Still do, if I’m honest”
The threat is low, half-whispered, but real. A bitter smile flickers at the edge of my mouth—not pride, just fury barely contained.
“But that’s not what’s haunting me,” I admit, softer now.
“It’s her. Her eyes.”
I glance at them, bracing myself for the words I can’t seem to shake.
“There’s nothing left in them. No spark. No light. Just… emptiness.”
My voice falters.
“It’s like she’s a shadow of herself. Like she’s locked herself away somewhere I can’t reach.”
Flor’s breath catches softly, her expression clouding with quiet sorrow, but she doesn’t interrupt.
“And when I kissed her,” I add, dragging a hand over my face, “yeah, I lost control. I was furious. I wanted to wipe that man’s touch off her. To mark her mine again.” I scoff under my breath. “Stupid. Impulsive. But for a second… just a second… I felt her again. The real her.”
I drag my hand down my face, exhausted by the truth.
