The Space Between

Chapter 2: Falling into silence

Bells rang, birds chirped, and the sun beamed down on Melanie's skin like a warm kiss. The day she married Dominic felt like something out of a movie. The sky stretched endlessly, the perfect blue, and laughter floated on the breeze, soft and easy. Everything felt exactly as it should be. For the first time in a long time, Melanie believed she was safe and happy.

But that was before she knew what would come.

The first glimpse of Dominic's anger came a week before the wedding. Something small, a set of misplaced car keys. It didn't seem like much at first, just a moment of frustration. But frustration turned to fury

Melanie sat on the couch, scrolling absentmindedly on her phone, when she felt the shift in the air. Dominic tore through the living room like a storm, muttering under his breath. Couch cushions flew across the room. Last night's beer cans rattled across the floor as he shoved furniture aside in search of the missing keys.

"Where the hell are they?" he snapped, ripping through drawers and tossing papers into the air.

"Dom, they've gotta be here somewhere. Just calm dow—"

Before she could finish, the TV remote flew across the room and struck her hard across the face. Pain flared under her eye, sharp and immediate.

She gasped, instinctively raising both hands to her face. Her fingers pressed against the tender skin beneath her eye, trying to gauge whether it would bruise.

"It's not a big deal," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "Take my car today. You're acting like a child, Dom."

For a moment, the words just hung in the air between them, like the tension before a thunderstorm breaks.

Then, something in him shifted. The fury drained from his face, leaving only guilt in its place. His shoulders slumped, and he ran a hand through his hair as if trying to wipe away the outburst.

"You're right," he whispered, stepping toward her. His voice softened, dripping with regret. "I overreacted. It'll never happen again, Mel. I'm sorry I hurt you."

He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her close. His breath was warm against her temple as he kissed her forehead, lingering there as though the moment could undo the damage. And for a second, she let herself believe it.

But then, as he reached for the door, his hand on the knob, he paused. His back still to her, his voice sharp and cold.

"Mel?"

Her heart stuttered.

"Don't ever speak to me that way again."

The door slammed behind him, rattling the walls.

Melanie stood in the silence, stunned, replaying his words over and over in her head. She touched her eye again, her fingers brushing the delicate skin, and swallowed the knot rising in her throat.

It was the first time Dominic's anger touched her, but it wouldn't be the last.

And somewhere, deep inside, she knew it.