𝐵𝒰𝑅𝑅𝐼𝐸𝒟 𝒮𝐸𝒞𝑅𝐸𝒯𝒮

Chapter 9: Running on Empty

Two days had passed.

Two days of pretending. Two days of hiding.

JJ kept her head down, drowing herself in paperwork, barely looking up from her desk unless absolutely necessary. There was no case to escape into, no fieldwork to keep her distracted— just an endless pile of reports, forms and meaningless tasks that allowed her to disappear in plain sight. She told herself it was better this way. If she kept busy enough, she wouldn't have to think.

But thinking found its way in, no matter how hard she tried to push it away.

The bruises were getting darker. The cuts deeper.

Will hadn't been holding back

Every evening, she walked into the apartment holding her breath, not knowing what version of him she would face. Sometimes, he was quiet, eerily calm, acting as if nothing had happened the night before. Other times, it was anger or he was drunk. Words that cut deeper that the wound he left on her skin. And then there were nights when words weren't enough for him.

JJ barely slept.

The exhaustion seeped into her bones, but she couldn't afford to let it slow her down. She knew the team had started to notice— Emily, most of all.

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Yesterday...

"Jay, let me swing by later. We can order takeout or something."

Emily had tried to sound casual, but JJ heard the concern woven into her voice.

JJ had brushed her off with a forced smile. "I'm really tired, Em. Maybe another time."

JJ had seen the hesitation in her eyes, the way she had studied her face as if trying to piece together a puzzle she wasn't being given all the pieces to. But Emily didn't push, not yet. She had only nodded slowly and muttered, "Alright... but if you need anything, just call."

JJ didn't call. She never did.
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Morning light filtered through the curtains, weak and pale.

JJ's eyes fluttered open, her body aching as if she had run a marathon instead of simply existing. Her limbs felt heavy, her head pounding from yet another night of broken sleep.

She exhaled slowly, staring at the ceiling.

JJ barely had time to let reality settle before she heart his voice.

"JJ! Get your ass down here and make me breakfast!"

She flinched, closing her eyes briefly as she let out a slow breath.

She wasn't in the mood for this. Not today. Not ever.

Couldn't he do it himself? She wasn't his damn maid.

But arguing would only make things worse. And she was too exhausted to fight.

With aching limbs, she forced herself out if bed, wincing as pain flared across her ribs. Her body protested every movement, but she ignored it, pulling on a hoodie to cover the worst of the bruises before making her way downstairs.

Will was already sitting at the kitchen table, scrolling through his phone like he had all the time in the world. He didn't even look up when she entered.

JJ moved on autopilot, grabbing the eggs and bread, starting on his usual breakfast. She kept her eyes on the clock, mentally calculating how much time she had left. If she was quick, she could still shower and make it to work on time.

Her stomach growled as the smell of food filled the air.

She hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before.