Luke |

Luke and Ren had been together for three years; they met in high school. They knew each other like the back of their hands… or at least that's what Luke thought. He didn't know Ren had been bullied for months. He'd had a suspicion, a tiny sign that made him uncomfortable—those small wounds she always clumsily explained away, the way she flinched when he tried to hug her. But every time he tried to get close, Ren shut down. He'd change the subject, get defensive, or just disappear for days at a time. He could see those little eyes full of sadness and love when she looked at him.

That afternoon, Ren appeared unannounced. She knocked softly on the door. When Luke opened it, his world fell apart. There she was, standing, her cheek red as if the blow still burned, and her eyes dull, drained of sleep, of strength. Luke's heart sank in his chest. He felt a mixture of rage and guilt swallowing his soul.

He didn't ask any questions. He just let her in.

Now they were in her room. The air was thick, as if words didn't know where to come from. Luke was silently tending to a wound on her knee, his hand shaking, the lump in his throat about to explode. He had a hard time stopping his trembling hand. His fingers were slow, almost clumsy, as if when he touched her, he felt the wound more in himself than in her. He kept his gaze lowered, struggling with his thoughts. How had he not noticed? How could he have been so blind? He felt like he had failed. That he had failed her.

Ren, on the other hand, was quiet. She sat on the edge of the bed, her shoulders slumped, her gaze fixed on the floor. She was broken. Tired of pretending everything was okay. Tired of having to be strong alone.

Long minutes passed without a single word being spoken. But in that silence, there was more than noise. There was pain, there was love.