Summer's Last Firefly

eone else's phone since I

pressed my lips toget

was low, pleading, and shockingly

atrics?" I said coldl

n on the other end. A frantic voice cr

s just a passerby whose phone Vincent had borrowed. She h

so I figured there wo

's relentless, urgent calls kept coming, uns

st the doorframe of a lavish apartment, h

of heavy drinking and late-night meetings. He never took ca

ke, I put aside our differences for th

pointing inside, asking me t

I left the door wide ope

ness. The apartment was a chaotic mess, littered with empty bo

d sweat pouring down, trying

Drink some water. Lie

d every instruction without protest –

ood to leave. But as I turn

oing now?" I sn

urmured, staring at me as if the domineer

coolly, "where's your assistant?

oice faint. He looked so different from the Vincent I

so hungry," h

now I was

ered a bowl of soup for delivery, just as I rece

sitation, I shared m

lled with concern. "Serena, put in your e

owing nervously as a sense

the delivery guy was about

, and I quickly shoute

fee table, I returned to the doorway,

in?" Vincent aske

I replie

occasionally stealing glances at me like a

'm cold. C

rp intake of breath came through my

– only to realize I'd accidentall

d his head, p

boyfriend's on his way to pick me up,"

darkened, shadows cas

aid, his voice tinged with sorrow. "You'd make me

faint sigh thr

ling like a guilty c

en Vincent's style, yet here he was

ow. He braced himself against the coffee table and slowly stood, swaying slightly as he w

't wan

thing from you,

to his study. I stayed rooted in the living room, u

chaotic apartment. The study, unlike the rest of the space, was pristine – eve

, one after another, like a chil

ad wanted but never splurged on, vintage vinyl records I'd once mentioned

call crackled, but there was no oth

ving Vincent, trying to decip

ve them to you," he said, picking up two amusement park tickets from the table, a hint of regret in his voice.

s he carried on. Then, as if unveiling

d smashed an

tape, the pieces forced into place, jagged edges awkwardly re

it in the t

t admitted. "Serena," his voice crac

e sound of hurried foots

fury. He swiftly stepped between us, effectively cutting off Vincent's app