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.

her 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...

lay down

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

stay there for the next

Murray's potential knocks, and partly

had to finish this paper before the grad school

birds with

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

her, his face a

sleepless night

etched faint blue shadows under his

at Roseanne was a mix of

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

to give the illusion he was almost

eyes calm, betraying no emotion: "First off, I wasn't playing a game; you truly were bothering

didn't you

open

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