Both of us grew up with one parent whose unconditional love wasn’t enough to shield us from the damage of their narcissistic partners. And as a result, we grew around the shadows they gave us, walking around like open wounds looking for any excuse to turn a spark into a flame.

waning,

proffered

furtive

niggling

fraught

Every time he touches me, every time he looks at me, every sweet word he whispers to me while he’s buried inside me feels like it’s tailor-made to rip the words from my soul.

bereft,

beatific