ARIA
The drumbeat in my chest was a frantic, trapped thing trying to escape through my throat. Each step toward the café door was a separate act of will, my legs moving through something thicker than air.
My stomach was a nest of writhing snakes, coiling and twisting into a sickening knot. A coldness had seeped into my blood, a glacial chill that had nothing to do with the weather.
I was a sculpture of composure on the outside, carved from sheer desperation.
Running was not an option. Hiding was over.
I had to face the woman I had called my other half. I had to look into the eyes of the devil I had mistaken for an angel.
The love I still felt for her was the most painful part, a rotten tooth my tongue couldn't stop probing. A part of me, a stupid, hopeful part, wished this was all some horrific mistake. That some other vengeful ghost was responsible.
Because the why was a bottomless pit. Why would she do this? For years. Just to keep me isolated. Just to keep me for herself.
