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.

knowing

gently filled the room through the windows. The figure on the couch stirred, and as Murray opened his eyes, a

clean and tidy, the unfamiliar setting and the cramped layout felt too

emerged from

locking eyes

"Do you remember what you did last

frowned, then shook his

would never say, "Anne,

knocking on my door, disturbing my life, bothering others. So, please don't do such childish things again. We're adults,

words felt like

gaze swept the room, and he scoffed, "This tiny, old dump? Do

if you begged

come back!"

his coat and

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

...

like you just left a party. You still

downing drinks in the clothes from the previous day. He sat down beside Murray, teasing him with a

"I called you here

in surrender. "Fine, fine,

with the staff gone, just the two of them