Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Murray froze in place. "You..."

Remembering what he did to her at the villa, Roseanne looked at him with both fear and caution.

"Don't come any closer! Stay away from me!"

"Anne..." A pang of pain shot through Murray's heart. "That day, I..."

Roseanne cut him off. "Stop it! Just leave. We have nothing to talk about."

"Anne..." With his eyes bloodshot, Murray stood rigidly, "I'm sorry. It was my fault. Can't we stop fighting? I shouldn't have, shouldn't have said and done those things..."

"I missed you too much... It was just a moment of impulse...I'm here because I want you to come back to me..."

"Come back?" Roseanne shot him a cold look. "To be what, your mistress?"

Murray blurted out, "If you agree to come home, I'll break up with Millie immediately."

Roseanne shook her head. "I refuse."

"Anne..." Just as Murray attempted to approach her again, Roseanne quickly turned and ran back to her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

After a moment, the outside noise faded away, and she cautiously stepped out to check. She found Murray slumped against the wall, asleep.

sighed, not knowing

the couch stirred, and as Murray opened his eyes, a wave of dizziness hit him, causing him to squint uncontrollably. Once the dizziness subsided, he sat up, rubbed his temples, and

the unfamiliar setting and the cramped layout felt too simple and constricting for

emerged from

suddenly locking eyes with her

expressionlessly. "Do you remember what you did

then shook

him would never say, "Anne,

night at eleven, you wouldn't stop knocking on my door, disturbing my life, bothering others. So, please don't do such childish things again.

still ached, and her words felt like a punch to

he scoffed, "This tiny, old dump? Do you think I'd want to

begged

come back!"

his coat and stormed

corner of the street, he dialed Cliff's number. "What are you up to? Come out. I need

...

you just left

to the bar, Cliff found Murray alone, downing drinks in the clothes from the previous day. He sat down beside Murray, teasing him with

here to drink, not

hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, I'll

gone, just the two of them were