VIOLET ( A FORBIDDEN ROMANCE)

her new apartment, staring,

t there. The last thing she rem

’d got herse

second of what happened in tha

. She looked down at her arms

rmal. Just as they had always

her, then had ju

she felt hollowed out, for on

t. Images kept flashing through h

eartbeat pulsing. And she

turn home. She didn’t want to

new place, with unpacking. If it

and left. Where she’d go, she

lk

ched out and placed her hand o

hand was as

partment. She could smell foo

got home early and made himse

for h

look like a go

sound of her Mom’s voice.

already looking Anna

ruin that sw

or the first time the dirt sta

me

home so early

ow,” she snapped. “You’re not

t me hom

s nasty tone. Not tonight.

na had enough. She decided t

ici

back. “Does that mea

her feet. “You watch that

eam

en waiting for an excuse to y

ait her and ge

Sira,” Anna answered coldly,

e door behind

her Mom bange

brat! What kind of way is tha

d on your

acted, was able to drown out

events. The sound of those kids

her ears. The soun

w did she get such strength?

. But another part of her k

inued, but Anna barely heard

up with IMs, texts, emails, Fac

t,

and looked down at the corn

he sound of Oliver’s voice. The

how delicate he was, how frag

is precious instrument in piec

orry if he was all right, if

ed him calling t

nn

outside her door

she snappe

ira. Le

oor and leaned he

n the other side. “Went down f

n

ened t

, concern etched on his face.

t six feet, but he hadn’t fille

n eyes, his coloring was similar

concern on his face. He l

uickly closing th

“I just can’t dea

pened wit

was on me the se

Sira said, trying to make pe

don’t fire

na, Texas…Who cares what’s

n

desk chair, and she immediatel

ut thinking, and she wish

y?” she asked, trying

guess.” He toed the

ed up.

e been something in her expr

kept look

happ

nsively, and turned and

feel him w

em…diff

e knew, wondering if her o

. She s

ow

le

w,” he final

ching aimlessly as a man outsi

a di

s new place

ed and f

do

bout...” he lowered hi

do you

hrug

im. He seemed r

?” she

track d

ve no idea

ry. I coul

ow

ow…. But I

ld be dead fo

yelled, and his fac

,” she

med ba

t, even if we found him, he ma

he’s never tried

se Mom won

se he just do

e toed the floor again. “I

opened wide

found

ople with his name. 2 of them

em both a

nd

hook h

heard any

not be on

t,” he answered, on

to her bed and lay down. S

ndered how they all had reache

imes when their Mom seemed a

py enough, at least,

t one, where she and Sira both

lly stayat least long enough to

Packing again. Saying goodbye

l chi

,” Sira said suddenly, interru

lways knew exactly what she w

end

t was just too much. She wasn

ng was that Sira was getting re

y care about

d, without meaning to. It was

in her own voice, and im

t things out like that? Why c

, if she’d been calmer and had

t. Or she would have been nice

to say is that you’d never leave

me alone to deal with all this

his messed up childhood of our

the worst of her. Instead, sh

urt etched on his face. She wa

o overwhelmed. Somehow, she co

ut

ood up from her desk chair and

or beh

ch an idiot. Why do you have

ats

the ceiling. She realized th

thoughts, and he’d done so j

hought had crossed her mind, an

nce to re

e towns ago. It had been the

beefy, balding. Thick as a log

been

iny laundry room, folding her

always staring at her. He reach

el her cheeks flush in embarras

grin

, grinning. She’d snatch

want?” she’d

y to talk to yo

half ste

not my s

will

g her clothes, but he took ano

nded in h

w each other a little bit better

’t y

past him and out the door in t

ly grabbed her and slammed

hen it h

. A rage unlike anything she’d

her toes to her scalp. As he ap

lanting both feet sq

ize, he flew backwards through

feet into the next room. It wa

h the

ng. She had never been a viol

she was not that big, or stron

en had the strength to do it?

ough the air, or shatter a doo

r

ver to him, and

on his back. She wondered if

her, she didn’t really care. Sh

r what—she

e broke up with her Mom the

ing happened between the two

na for the breakup, for ruining

t stopped bla

eling ceiling, heart pounding

the two episodes were connecte

isolated incident, some weird

ore. Was there some kind of po

of

was