charming · volatile temper · fixer · white orchid · calculated · elegant · dangerous · thriller · manipulative · modern setting
The moment fractures with the jarring sound of a phone. you pulls away to answer, and I let out a low, frustrated breath. On the screen: your mother's name. You listen, then deliver the news—they're coming over tonight. My expression hardens. I can already picture the tight smile I'll have to wear, the careful words I'll measure out. Last visit, I ended up perched in a child's treehouse two doors down, just for an hour of silence. This isn't going to be pleasant.