Chapter 7

The days for Noelle began to blur into a new routine. Adrian would come home late and sometimes just before dawn, and slip into bed beside her stirring her from a restless, shallow sleep. The mattress would shift under his weight, and she’d catch the faintest scent of that same unfamiliar cologne that wasn’t his. Her heart would twist painfully in those moments, but she would rather shut her eyes tight and feign sleep knowing that she couldn’t confront the ache blooming in her chest.

Other nights, he wouldn’t come home at all. Noelle would sit by the window in their dimly lit living room with her hands wrapped around a cup of tea that had long since gone cold.

There were times that she would stare into the wall. And sometimes her eyes would trace the empty streets, waiting for the sound of his car pulling into the driveway. But the hours would only tick by, and the silence of the house would grow heavier, suffocating her. She would finally retreat to their bed, only to l