The howling wind rattled the old wooden shutters, and snapped the thickest tree branches in its violent rage. Gallons of rain poured onto the blanket of soggy autumn leaves, drowning them in murky mud pools. Lightning lit up the sky, paving the way for the booming drums of thunder. The night was sure to be as restless as the one they left fourteen years ago.

“Didn’t think you’d come.” Juliet muttered, her eyes glued to the maggot-infested dishes on the old dining table.

“Couldn’t let you do this alone.” Mason said before resting a red can of gasoline on the dirty floor.

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Juliet scoffed, bumping him with her shoulder as she entered the living room.

“Jules, come on, don’t be like that.” He pleaded, taking hold of her arm to stop her in her tracks.

“Like what?! Pissed?!” Juliet yanked her arm away and shoved him. “You left me! After five years, you abandoned me!”

“I did what was best for both of us! Look around you! Had I stayed, _this_ is the only life I could’ve given you, and I refuse to be like _him_!” Mason explained, tears stinging his eyes.

His words struck Juliet like a pile of bricks. She folded her arms, consoling herself, hoping it would ease the chills running up her spine as she looked around the room. The memories she worked tirelessly to forget were at the forefront of her mind. The moldy couch, the shattered picture frames, the blood-stained rug. Every inch of that isolated, run down cabin in the woods held a memory of the life they once knew.

“…I did everything I could to protect you.” Mason began, leaning back against the wall, folding his arms as she did. “Leaving you hadn’t crossed my mind until that night.”

“But I was happy.” Juliet insisted through the lump in her throat, inching closer to him.

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” He asked, and Juliet paused, unsure what to say.

“I know what happy looks like on you, Jules. It’s the company you keep, the family you’ve found, the dream you achieved, and the stars you’re still reaching for.”

Juliet hated crying, but for him, she could never hold back her tears. Her shoulders sunk in defeat, dropping her arms at her sides.

“Then why are you here?” She wept. “If you’re just going to leave me again, why are you here?”

“…Because I need this as much as you do.” Mason answered. He closed the gap between them, and pulled her into his arms. “We can’t keep running to a safe space that was meant to destroy us.”

Juliet held onto him tightly, and though she never wanted to let go, she knew she had to.

“Fine…” she stubbornly agreed, “but I get the lighter.”