Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Roseanne was jerked awake by the persistent knocking at her door. She shot up, her heart racing, sure someone was at her doorstep.

"Who's there?" she called out, caution heavy in her voice.

With Owen burning the midnight oil at the lab, she was on her own. If a burglar was at her door, she had no one to back her up.

The knocking paused for a moment, but the visitor remained silent.

Seeing that Roseanne wasn't budging, they resumed their knocking.

"If you won't speak, I'm not opening up."

"...Anne." Murray's voice came through, laced with a weary chuckle.

She was as stubborn as ever.

"...What do you want?" At the sound of his voice, Roseanne couldn't help but frown.

"Let me in. We need to talk. I promise I won't do anything. If it makes you feel better, leave the door ajar..."

"There's nothing between us worth discussing." Roseanne cut him off, clearly unwilling to open the door.

Despite his repeated knocks and pleas, she ignored him completely.

shower, picked up her phone in frustration. "Hello, officer? There's someone incessantly knocking on my door..." And so, Murray was eventually led away,

Peace at last...

down

up, prepared a hearty breakfast of pancakes and bacon, dressed, and headed to the

planned to stay there for the next couple of days, avoiding

Murray's potential knocks, and partly

before the

two birds with one

very person she hoped to avoid appeared in front of her as she stepped out, darting out from the nearby alley

Murray glared at her, his face a

night coupled

shadows under his once handsome features,

mix of

civic duty. Happy now?"

enough to give the

wasn't playing a game; you truly were

you

open my door to

don't know me, or is it I who don't know you?! What about the past six years?" "You said it yourself, that's the past. Since it has become