My Cardboard Balcony

TNT XOXOXO by Belinda Roddie Everything can go wrong in this room full of frayed wires, where one shred of copper leads to nowhere, and the scratched up walls expose innards ready to detonate. You are dynamite in my hands - all I need is to light the fuse. You have been broken, abused, yet you can still do plenty of damage. I know your teeth can find comfort in the indentations of my skin, but before you bite me, I'll press the red button, cut the blue cord, and trigger our mutual explosion.

She appeared composed from a distance, calm and collected. It wasn't until I got closer, through the dust and fumes of bourbon, that I noticed the dirty tear streaks close to her jaw. She had neglected to wipe the offending water away, and now the bartender was serving her a tall glass of something probably very strong with a fixed look. "Don't make me cut you off, okay?" he warned, which confused me, because the woman seemed sober, even though upset.