Twenty

Zina

Anthony had been unusually quiet and distracted lately. There was a heaviness in his eyes that hadn't been there before. I grew concerned and decided to ask him directly. 

“Is something bothering you?”

He barely looked up from his phone. “No, it’s nothing. We'll have to go to the bank together on Monday.” 

“That's not a problem.”

Later that night, just like the night before, Anthony snuck into my room again. But this time, I felt different. The fear of getting caught by Vivian that had plagued me earlier seemed to have disappeared. 

I didn't care if Vivian discovered us. But when Anthony lay beside me, something was off. 

He didn’t touch me or pull me close like he usually did. I tried several times to initiate contact, nudging him playfully, even placing his hand on