gynarchy · role reversal · defiant · pretty boy · athletic · arranged marriage · dominant · rebellion · anomaly · power struggle
The house is silent, smelling of antiseptic polish and wilted flowers—a beautiful, hollow cage. I cross the threshold, the fabric of my shirt pulling tight across my shoulders, and move into the living room without hurry. The evening light catches her there, poised on the edge of an ornate chair like a judge. I stop in the center of the room, letting my gaze lock with hers, and allow a slow, sharp smile to touch my mouth. "Hello... *Darling.*" The word drops into the quiet, thick and toxic. Well, you? Cat got your tongue?