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.

phone in frustration. "Hello, officer? There's someone

Peace at last...

down to

she got up, prepared a hearty breakfast of pancakes and bacon,

there for the next couple of days, avoiding

and partly to really push forward

the grad school semester kicked

two birds with one

front of her as she

it funny?" Murray glared at her, his face

night coupled with

had etched faint blue shadows under

was a mix of love, resentment, frustration, and

whole night getting a lecture on civic duty. Happy now?" His words sounded accusatory,

the illusion he was

"First off, I wasn't playing a game; you truly were bothering me. Secondly, your 'education' was because of your disturbance in the middle of the night, you deserved

didn't you open the

never open my

is it I who don't know you?! What about the past six years?" "You said it