Chapter 70: Shattered Flames
Merlina sank to her knees, her hands trembling as she reached for the shattered picture on the floor. Her fingers brushed against sharp edges, but she barely felt them. When she picked them up, her heart broke into a million pieces.
It was one of those sleek, acrylic photo blocks, clean, minimal, the kind you buy off an Instagram ad at 2 a.m. Inside it, a Polaroid-style shot of her and Louis: arms around each other, laughing like their problems no longer exist.
Their first date — the day she let go of her worries for fun time at Barsea.
She loved that photo, not just because of the memory, but because of how she looked in it. The angle, the lighting, the softness in her eyes.
Her stomach twisted. Shame settled in her chest like a weight she couldn’t shake.
"Did you see it?" she asked, voice tight.
Across the room, Craig stood watching her every move with his jaw clenched, breath still uneven from everything that had just happened between them.
"What?" he replied, irritation flickering in his voice.
"The photo block," she said, rising to her feet, holding the photo like it might accuse her. "Did you know it was behind me?"
He let out a short, incredulous breath and ran a hand down his face. "Seriously? We just—God forget it." He stopped himself, jaw clenching. "That’s what you’re asking me right now?"
"Did you see it or not, Craig?"