Who: Trenton. What: A narrative. Where: P4. When: Afternoon after this card is left. Warnings: None really.
The card wasn't a surprise. He'd anticipated, with an element of rousing bemusement, that Shiloh wouldn't give up. Hadn't this all began because Trenton tried to pay him off, and Shiloh wouldn't allow it? Of course, Trenton was to blame. He'd given Shiloh a choice. He'd entertained this prolonged.. affair was the first word that came to mind, but it was wrong. All wrong. He'd let it go on, and what for? Because Trenton was bored. Because it was easy not to stop.
And now, look. Here he was.. getting cards slipped under his door. Like this was some bad break-up.
No, the card wasn't a surprise. Trenton collected it when he walked in the door this afternoon. Begrudgingly regarding the poppy dog on the front, before opening it with his thumb. I dont love yew pleeze dont leav?
Trenton swallowed and closed the card. He could send a note back to Shiloh, as he'd always done. But he knew, because he wanted to, that that was contact he shouldn't continue. Even his harsh words were a bridge between them, and if he was to do anything to show his disinterest.. he'd have to do nothing. No reply, no acknowledgment, nothing. There was a painful flicker in the pit of his stomach, the swan song of compassion. The last he had, the last he'd ever expend on anyone. This is it, no more, never again.
Pulling a lighter from his pocket, there was a pop and hiss or butane before he held the flame beneath the card's edge. The paper blackened immediately, smoke rising. Fire nibbled at the paws of the puppy dog, and Trenton tilted the card to allow the flames more feeding room. He dropped the blazing card in the sink and let it continue it's slow burn when he walked away.
Into his room, where he loosened his tie and ran his hand down in a divorce of buttons. Watching himself in the mirror for some sign that he'd changed or had done something wrong. Some glimmer of hurt in his eyes.. it wasn't there. And over his shoulder, he didn't even notice the painting. The handsome face with the gnarled, peeling twist of mouth.