Jason left before dawn.
That alone was strange.
He stood at the doorway longer than usual, eyes lingering on Loraine as if he were memorizing her. When he spoke, his voice was calm—too calm.
"I'll be gone most of the day," he said. "Don't do anything foolish."
She didn't answer.
He smiled anyway.
That smile stayed with her long after the door closed.
The Silence After Him
The house felt hollow without him.
Not peaceful—
Exposed.
Loraine sat on the edge of the bed, hands clenched in her lap, heart racing. Every instinct screamed the same thing:
Now.
She moved carefully. Slowly.
She checked the doors.
The windows.
For the first time in weeks, one of the side gates wasn't guarded.
Her breath caught.
Hope Is Loud
She changed quickly, grabbing only her phone and shoes.
Each step down the hall felt unreal.
Like the house itself was watching her.
When she reached the gate, her hands shook so badly she nearly dropped the latch.
It opened.
She stepped outside.
And hope—sharp and dangerous—flooded her chest.
He Was Never Gone
"Loraine."
His voice came from behind her.
Soft.
Broken.
Terrifying.
Her body froze.
She turned slowly.
Jason stood a few feet away, coat discarded, eyes glowing faintly—not red, not fully human.
"I felt you leave," he said quietly.
Tears spilled down her face.
"I just wanted air," she whispered. "I just wanted to breathe."
He took a step forward.
Then another.
"You promised," he said, voice cracking. "Do you remember what you promised me?"
When He Breaks
She backed away.
"I didn't mean—"
"I LET YOU GO OUT," he shouted suddenly. "I LET YOU LIVE!"
His voice shattered.
He grabbed his hair, pacing like a caged animal.
"I gave you freedom because I loved you—and you proved I was right to be afraid."
He dropped to his knees in front of her.
Actually wept.
"I don't know how to exist without you," he sobbed. "I don't know how to stop this."
She trembled.
This wasn't love.
This was dependency sharpened into a weapon.
The Past Slips Out
"I've lost before," he said suddenly, lifting his head. "I trusted once. I was betrayed."
His eyes darkened.
"That's when I learned what I am."
She swallowed.
"What are you?" she asked quietly.
He laughed—a hollow, fractured sound.
"Not something that gets to be abandoned."
Back Inside
He didn't drag her.
Didn't strike her.
That was worse.
He guided her back with hands that shook, locking the door behind them with a quiet click.
"I won't hurt you," he said hoarsely. "But I won't let you leave again."
She sat on the bed, numb.
Jason knelt in front of her once more.
"I love you in the only way I know how," he whispered. "And that should be enough."
She said nothing.
But something inside her hardened.
End Questions
If love feels like fear, is it love—or captivity?
Can someone who is broken still choose not to break others?
And now that Loraine knows escape is watched…
Will she wait—or will she learn to disappear quietly?