Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

"Wait, what?" Hans was a bit slow to catch on.

"Who sent it? When? Did you mention this to me?"

"I just happened to swing by the school today, and heard you mention in the afternoon that the flash drive was for Roseanne, so I just took it upon myself to deliver it to her." "Oh, I see... Why didn't you give me a heads up? Had me searching high and low..."

Corley Sullivan inwardly rolled his eyes, thinking it was better to ask forgiveness than permission. Better to act first and explain later.

However, he simply said, "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, completely slipped my mind to tell you."

"As long as she got it, it's all good."

"Yeah."

Ending the call, Corley cheerfully whistled as he gripped the steering wheel, content with how things turned out.

...

In his study, Owen was trying to make sense of a set of experimental data.

But his focus was nowhere to be found.

His thoughts kept drifting back to the scene he witnessed from his balcony two hours earlier-

Corley and her, walking side by side into the alley.

He could see Corley leaning in to say something, and after listening, Roseanne first frowned, then rolled her eyes in exasperation before running off.

Corley just stood there, watching her leave, with a look of helpless indulgence, as if watching a mischievous child.

Under the streetlight, their shadows stretched long and partly overlapped, resembling an intimate couple.

one she

snapped back to reality, his gaze returning to the computer screen, and

he leave

was he

he

a.m., the study light was

closed his laptop with a sigh, his

he'd tackle it

face, laid down, but tossing and turning, sleep

asleep, it was anything but restful-his dreams were chaotic and

as

slender figure

and

enough; his body felt as if it was on fire,

tormented, and filled

himself drawn to the figure, gently taking

then caressing

and neck.

refreshing spring, quenching his thirst, compelling

a cautious yearning, he finally pressed his lips to

That sound seemed magical,

away, fueling the

drawing out desires et

within him...

turned her face, he finally

Anne...

woke to find his