Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Murray slammed on the gas and took off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.

Leda was fuming on the sidewalk, cursing at the top of her lungs. "What kind of jerk does that? A total scumbag! Absolute trash! He's driving me insane!"

Grabbing the young guy by the collar, who was as innocent as a puppy caught in the rain, she vented, "Listen here. Anne is never going back to him! Never!" Trying to play peacemaker, the young guy nodded frantically, "Yeah, yeah, don't get worked up."

But was that even possible? The confidence Murray exuded seemed unshakable.

Stealing a glance at Leda, the young guy wished Leda could trust men as unconditionally as her friend did. Stop right there! He wouldn't dare even dream of it.

...

Meanwhile, Murray answered a call in his car, his tone icy because of his bad mood. "What's up?"

"Hey, babe, I found this amazing place that serves the juiciest crab. Tomorrow's Saturday. Let's go check it out, shall we?" Millie's bubbly voice came through the phone. She knew Murray's love for seafood and was playing to his tastes.

They hadn't been in touch since the previous night, and her anxiety was getting the better of her, pushing her to make the call without a second thought.

plan their dates, and all she had to do was playfully refuse before shyly

reach out had dwindled, his texts brief, sometimes

that moment. "Saturday? I'm

Saturday, Sunday works, too..." Millie's grip on her phone tightened, her lips

busy. Let's leave it at that." With that, Murray

phone's blank screen, feeling her panic surge again. She thought,

...

low, Owen

hint of sadness in her

his head. "Can't, I need to swing by the

echoed his sentiment. "We'll have

take care, and don't be strangers," Madeleine replied, her words directed

Roseanne responded,

some papers and three

algorithms. She had been halfway through a paper intended for SCI submission before graduation, and her professors

and don't forget your lunchbox on