Eliana sat stiffly while Nicky's head rested in her lap. His long frame stretched across the couch as though nothing had happened. The television flickered in front of them, some old movie playing. Laughter from the screen clashed with the silence in her chest.
Hours ago she had been chained to the bed, begging him to let her go. Now his hand traced circles against her thigh like they were just another couple at home.
"It's been ages since we watched a movie together," Nicky said, his voice low and almost wistful.
Eliana's eyes shifted away, fixed on the screen. He wasn't wrong. He had always been too busy, she too wrapped in her own world. They hadn't really communicated in months. But that didn't make this normal.
"Nicky," she said, her voice steady despite the knot in her throat. "We need to really talk about us. This isn't normal. We're just delaying the inevitable."
