My hair crawls across the pillows, enveloping our heads in a tangled web.

"You are so beautiful," he breathes, barely audible, his arm following the scarred curve of my hip, and disappearing between my and his girlfriend's bodies.

I crush her body to mine. His fingers make it hard to think.

In the morning, I rehearse the break-up speech in my head. I know I'll have to use it eventually.

She gets up and disappears into the bathroom. The shower begins to run.

The bed I'm in shifts and tilts as he settles into it. His body runs so hot, I can only cuddle for ten minutes before I have to pull away and get some relief.

~

I work a 72 hour week, then another. Laundry piles up, slowly suffocating me. I waste precious minutes in the morning trying to find clean socks.

You are beautiful.

I stare at the text for a long time. It makes me happy and sad in equal parts. I don't know what to say.

I send back a blushing emoji.

I'm so tired. I want this job to be over. I want to spend a leisurely morning, folded in his arms.

But I know she'll be there, too. And I know that feeling is a problem. And I like her, she's fine.

I can't give them what they want, not exactly.

Not exactly.

.

Rosie

Before&After