The Evergreen
an excerpt

She woke naked, sprawled across the study floor with a painfully throbbing head and a mouth that tasted like incredibly powerful cheese. She curled on her side, hand to her forehead, mentally, and very slowly running through the evening beforehand. Well, she’d done it now. Congratulations, Matilda. She felt hollow. The storm was over, and the silence deafening. She rolled slowly onto her knees, and almost screamed to find Vincent, back against the arm of a chair, elbows resting on his knees, watching her. She instinctively threw one arm across her breasts and pulled herself away a little across the carpet, giving herself rug burn. He looked pained, but not particularly surprised. “It’s about two thirty.” He said, very, very quietly. He looked tired, and a bit worn, and not incredibly impressed with himself. He reached next to him and offered a white bathrobe. “I found this upstairs.” She accepted it gratefully, pulling it on and looking about for her red dress. It lay, in shreds, scattered near the doorway. She retrieved a piece sadly. She looked back to Vincent, almost cringing. He was still, his face unreadable. “Should we find somewhere to sleep?”
She nodded, and got very slowly to her feet. She hurt, horribly, in awkward places. He got up carefully, eyes on her, like she might bolt like a wild animal if he made a sudden move. She moved to the door, and heard him follow. Up the stairs they went, Matilda clutched the remains of her dress against her white dressing gown and Vincent looking tired and gaunt in his crumpled suit. She came to her doorway and stopped. He stopped, obediently, a cautious few feet from her. She pointed down the hallway. “They’re all available. Have whichever one you want.”
She opened her door, and he reached for her, pulling back at the last minutes when she instinctively flinched. His face was – strange. “You wouldn’t rather – “ He trailed off, looking from her to her door then shaking his head slightly. “Never mind.” He pulled back a safe distance. “Goodnight, Matilda.” And he padded soundlessly down the hallway and into the darkness. He chose the room furthest away from her, and she leant her head against the cool doorframe until she heard the door click closed.