She was taciturn, with the

radiant confidence she

harboured within concealed be-

hind her reticence. He was

mischievous, with nothing but

neglectful bruises behind

his winsome smirk. When they kissed,

she tasted on his lips the

faint tang of lust and tears, com-

mingled with brokenness and

desire. They were a match so

paradoxically e-

thereal, unprepared to

face the obscurity of

the world and still desperate-

ly trying to repair their

own splintered hearts.