Lucian
As Tina’s cries faded down the hallway, Mara turned and went to get dressed for breakfast. The calm after the storm.
Later, in the shower, her scent wrapped around me like a balm. I kissed her neck, and she leaned into me.
“What if it’s serious?” she whispered.
I didn’t answer right away. I just held her closer.
Because maybe it was serious.
But some things had to hurt before they could heal.
“I really can’t do anything for her,” I said, my tone hard but steady. “If I were a doctor, I’d be at the hospital. But I’m not. I have nothing left to give Tina. Whatever she’s going through now—whether it’s fallout from the poison or something she cooked up for attention—it’s not my burden anymore.”
Mara stood still, her face unreadable. “I don’t trust her,” I continued. “She’ll do an
