Shattered Glass | 18+

And when she saw the gun rise, she didn't hesitate. Not even for a second.

...........
"I know you, Tariq." Her voice was quiet, steadier than she felt. "I see how your eyes don't twinkle like they used to."
A long silence followed. It felt oddly comforting, even though this was where everything broke.
"Layla... I pro-promise you, I don't regr-"
"It's okay." She cut him off. "It's okay, Tariq. Don't force yourself to love someone who won't make you happy. I won't make you happy."
He looked at her, his eyes slowly filling with tears. The dim lights and the soft hum of the ceiling fan made everything feel calmer than the storm inside their minds.
"Don't leave me," he whispered, his voice breaking.
"You don't love me," she whispered back. "You never did. I was too blinded by my love for you to see that you never loved me."
This time, Tariq didn't know what to say.
She's the flower that survived the fire he set.
He's the lie that was only supposed to keep her safe.
One night. One shootout. One bullet she took for him.
Now the truth is coming apart, and neither of them knows if any of it was ever real.