𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 [a rini au]

prologue

the girl lied awake in her creaky twin bed, an outdated comforter beneath her frail being. her tired brown eyes stared a sharp hole through the taupe roof, waterlines rimmed with frustrated tears to gloss her vision. it was still prominent – the square-shaped tape debris just where her gaze rested. she tried to fight back every voice reminding her of what occupied the space, but they were awfully convincing.

she sat upright, long locks falling over her rosy cheeks. the emotional exhaustion was overbearing, but she mustered up enough strength to swing her small legs off of the bed. placing her bare feet on the ancient floor rug, the girl shook timidly as she made the journey to her desk. once she reached the wooden structure, she pursed her lips in agony while she managed to hesitantly look for the object of her attention. once she landed on it, her trembling fingers snagged it.

as she held the tiny print out in her hands, the one that used to reside on her ceiling, she wondered if the pain would ever stop. if the overwhelming feeling of worthlessness would pack itself up and leave. she really wanted to believe that it would, but she also used to believe he wouldn't leave.

and he did.

with the strength she had left, the girl ripped the photo. her audible, heavy sobs hindered her coordination, forbidding the split to trail directly down the middle. instead, it crawled over her face, leaving his untarnished in the process. her breath hitched when her action was complete, but although it didn't quite go to plan, it made sense to her. as she disposed of the unevenly destroyed photo in her nearby trash can, her head was more clear than ever.

he would forever be unbreakable.

and her?

well, nina salazar-roberts would forever be bound to break.