Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Chapter 843
But... the family portrait was taken, the parents were introduced, and they even spent the holidays together!
Unlike last time, when all she posted was a picture of the food, with just the edge of Roseanne's chin sneaking into the frame-this
time, it was official. Everyone was there, standing together, smiling for the camera.
It wasn't just a casual get-together anymore. With this kind of display, they might as well be planning the wedding.
No wonder Murray was losing his mind.
Cliff mulled it over, then decided to call Corley, hoping to fish for some answers.
If... if he'd misunderstood and Roseanne meeting Corley's parents wasn't what it seemed, then maybe Murray could stop
drowning his sorrows in whiskey.
"Corley, happy New Year! Figured I'd call and say it in person."
On the other end: "Happy New Year, Cliff."
"Celebrating with your folks? Pass my regards to your parents, will you?"
"Thanks, I will."
"Our families live just a couple blocks apart. Hang tight, I'll swing by and drop off a couple bottles of good wine-"
"No need, I'm not at the Hawthorne house."
"Huh?" Cliff's eyes flickered. "Then where are you?"
"With my grandparents."
"Ohhh-" He feigned sudden understanding. "This wine really is something special, though. Maybe I'll just drop some off for your
folks. You can have a glass when you're back. So, spending the holidays with your grandparents-don't tell me they've been

bugging you about settling down?"
Silence on the other end.

Cliff chuckled, then quickly tried to smooth things over. "Honestly, can't they come up with something new? Every year it's the
same old questions, over and over. Drives me crazy..."
Corley gave a soft laugh. "Compared to you, I've got it easy. They didn't bring it up this year."
His grandparents were too busy doting on their long-lost daughter to worry about him.
Cliff's heart sank.
Not getting nagged about marriage? That could only mean... he already had someone!
Damn it-
Was he really with Roseanne?
Cliff didn't even want to imagine what would happen if those two showed up together in front of Murray, all sweet and cozy. The
guy would go completely off the rails.
Inside the house.
Murray fumbled through the darkness and flipped on the lights.
The icy wind on the way home had sobered him up, but his throat was parched. Almost without thinking, he called toward the
kitchen, "Sadie, could you get me a glass of water?"
He waited. No answer.
Only then did he remember-it was the holidays, and Sadie had gone back to her hometown a few days early.
He dragged himself off the couch and headed to the kitchen.
He filled a glass from the water filter, gulped down two glasses in a row before the dryness in his throat eased a little.
But his head was still spinning.

He shuffled back to the living room
and collapsed onto the couch.

Curling up, a dull, twisting pain
started gnawing at his stomach-a
familiar ache, made worse by the
drinking.
His hand instinctively went to the drawer under the coffee table, where he found his usual antacids.
Roseanne used to say his stomach was terrible, that he'd come home after a night out and just crash on he couch, so she kept
his medicine handy in the living room.
He never listened.
Now, he'd give anything to hear her nag him again.
Too tired to fetch more water from the kitchen, Murray swallowed the pills with half
a glass of water that had already gone cold.
Gradually, as the medicine took effect, the pain faded.
He slumped back, utterly spent.
Once, he didn't even know where the antacids were. It was only after Roseanne
left that he started learning how to take care of himself.
But...
It wasn't going well.
His life was still a mess.
Murray stared at the quiet, empty house and gave a bitter, crooked smile.
He wasn't doing well at all.

If she knew, would she just maybe-feel the tiniest bit sorry for him?
Just then, the door opened.
Murray shot upright. "Anne..."