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⊰ 20.5 | 2 ⊱ Beyond the Tattoos
⊰ Cade ⊱
As the silence sinks between us, the weight of our history settling over us, I find myself struggling to reconcile the man I am now with the man I was then—the man who loved Elysian with every fiber of my being.
The memories are still hazy, the details blurred and uncertain, but the emotions they evoke are as real and powerful as ever. I look at Elysian, taking in the pain and longing etched into every line of her face, and I feel a desperate need to bridge the chasm between us.
I want to find a way back to the connection we once shared, even if it means starting from scratch.
The words leave my mouth before I can stop them, a plea and prayer all in one. “Elysian,” I say quietly, my voice raw with emotion. “Do you think we could ever be friends again? After everything that’s happened?”
I see it in her face: my question strikes her in a way she wasn’t expecting. Her eyes widen as sh
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The gym is my happy place, a place where I can lose myself in the familiar burn of exertion and the satisfying clink of metal plates. Thursday evenings are particularly my favorite, the gym is quieter than usual, relatively empty, and I can take my time without feeling rushed.As I work through my bench press sets, the sound of laughter echoes off the concrete walls, drawing my attention to the entrance. Amelia and Anna, the inseparable twins who have become my unlikely friends, saunter in, their gym bags slung over their shoulders and mischievous grins on their faces.The second their eyes land on me, they make their way over, all smiles. “Elys, hey!” Amelia says, overly excited. “We’ve been meaning to ask ya something.”I sit up on the bench, wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand. “What’s up?”Anna leans against the rack, her eyes sparkling. “Our birthday is coming up in three weeks,
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 22 ⊱ Broken Pieces: Part 2
In Cade’s arms, I unconsciously shift my weight to him, trusting that he’ll keep me from falling. I draw my lip between my teeth, focusing on my breathing as he guides me back inside, kicking the door shut behind him. “Let’s sit you down.”“I-I can’t…” I whimper, my voice breaking. “I can’t sit.”He doesn’t hesitate, understanding flashing in his eyes as he nods, adjusting his hold on me. “Okay, let’s get you to bed then.”Oh, God. This is so embarrassing…Shame washes over me, and I want nothing more than to hide my face from him as he helps me to my bedroom, his arm firmly around my waist. When we reach the bedroom, he tries to lower me onto the bed, but the moment I try to bend at the hip, my back locks up, a cry of pain escaping my lips.Instantly, Cade pulls me into his arms, holding me up as I cling to the front of his shirt, my ha
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 23 ⊱ Missed Connections
My eyes snap open at the phone blaring, jolting me out of my slumber.What the hell..?With my head still resting on Cade’s bare chest, I lay perfectly my hand slayed over his abs. Almost instantly, he shifts slightly beneath me, reaching for his cell phone and silencing it.The light from the sunrise creeps through the edges of the curtains, and knowing I can't lay here forever, I nearly panic trying to figure out what I should say.He spent the night…Memories of last night play over in my head, and I feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment at how I practically threw myself at him. I want to blame it on the pot, but truthfully, all the weed did was make me bold enough to say and do what I really wanted to.Oh, this is bad…this is SO bad.In the next moment, I hear a dial ring through his phone. “Good morning,” he speaks lowly, more than likely assuming I’m still asleep.
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 24 ⊱ Little Pink Dress
I scrutinize my reflection in the mirror, admiring the way the long-sleeved pink cocktail dress hugs my curves in all the right places. A smile plays on my lips as I turn, appreciating the fit.This is so cute!I bought this dress almost four years ago, ambitiously purchasing it one size too small. I’ve only worn it once. I had all but forgotten about it until I found myself desperately trying to find the appropriate outfit for tonight.It took 20 pounds… How tight did it fit before..?After a week of diligently running through my mobility exercises, the pain in my lower back has mostly subsided, allowing me to ease back into my normal routine. Work has been hectic, leaving little time for personal conversations with Cade.My heart flutters at the thought of spending the evening with him again, just the two of us. It’s been two weeks since my injury, two weeks since that night when I let my guard down and gave i
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 1 ⊱ The Day the Sky Rained
Rain. I watch it fall through the window of my dorm room, leaning against the wall beside it as I kneel on my bed, my legs tucked beneath my weight. The tears that stain my cheeks feel cold against my skin, gathering at my chin and dripping onto the hand-written letter sitting on my lap. My lip trembles, a soft sob passing my lips as my eyebrows furrow, the bridge of my nose stinging.What did I do..?My gaze falls to the piece of paper, and through my hazy vision, I re-read the lines over and over again: ‘Ely, I’ve been staring at this sheet of paper for the past two hours, unsure of how to tell you what I need to say. Ely, my dearest Ely, I love you. I will always love you. From the moment I met you, I knew you were the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. You see, I once dreamt about you. Before we met, I had a dream about meeting you. You were standing near the waterfall of our favorite park, wearing that bitsy blue dress of yours that I love so much, and you looke
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 2 ⊱ Ocean Eyes
I groan at the soft instrumental music blasting from my phone, my restless eyes fluttering open. I spent the better part of the night tossing and turning, wondering if the man that I saw last night actually was who I think he was. I’m probably trippin’. … I am exhausted… It’s as though I can feel the bags under my eyes as I pull the teal colored bed sheets from over my body, my unoccupied hand silencing my phone. The heavy sighs that erupt from a sleepy Bubbles laying on his beige orthopedic dog bed makes me side-eye him, wondering what could possibly ale my favorite unemployed freeloader. Per usual, I go about my daily routine: feed Bubbles, make the bed, brush my teeth, shower, throw on a pair of boot-cut jeans with a nice long-sleeve blouse, and I put on my eyebrows. Okay, that’s a little bit of an exaggeration. I’m actually just filling them in. I lengthen my eyelashes with mascara, brush and blow-dry my shiny, waist-length, black, straight hair while I pray for a frizz-
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 3 ⊱ Heartbeats in a Glass Office
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Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 4 ⊱ Painful Echoes
The hours that pass are painful. Not even the horrid HR videos that I’ve been watching for the past few hours are enough to settle my anxiety. The lunch hour couldn’t roll around fast enough, and while others in the team start trickling off at noon, I wait until Krina gets up to follow behind her. We part ways when she approaches the floor’s kitchen area and I continue to the elevator where I ride it down to the first floor and make my way to my car in the garage. Anxious to call my best friend, the phone’s already dialing as I lower myself onto the passenger seat. Closing the door, I press the speaker button, the heel of my foot incessantly tapping against the car’s floor. “Hey, girl!” Ava answers cheerfully. “What’s up? How’s your first day going?! Tell me EVERYTHING.” Under different circumstances, I would’ve been ever-so grateful for having a great friend who’s just as enthusiastic as I would’ve been otherwise. “Ava…” my voice quavers as I try not to let what I’m feeling co
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