Settling in bed once again, the couple cuddled, exchanging ’I love yous’, succumbing to fatigue eventually.

However, as much exhausted as Bette was, her busy mind couldn’t let her consciousness ebb away into oblivion. She carefully slipped out of Tina’s hold and off the bed. Putting a pair of sweatpants on, she took a stashed cigarette out of her coat’s pocket and stepped out onto the balcony, quietly sliding the glass door shut behind her. She took a seat on the armchair, sinking into it, and lighted the cigarette.

The sunrise was in its first stage. The sky was dark orange with a golden disk shining through the city still rather faintly. Bette didn’t happen to glance at the time, but she guessed it was between four and five o’clock. Bette frowned. Somewhere about that time yesterday she was dealing with a drug supplier, who made an attempt to saddle them with the counterfeit goods. At one point Bette got distracted, letting the man seize the opportunity to reach for the knife. Thank God for Marcus, who was cool and observant enough to prevent the man from doing some serious damage to the brunette. After the knife was knocked out of the man’s hand, Bette went ballistic and cleaned his clock straight off.

Bette filled her lungs with smoke as she recalled how angered she was, so totally out of control that now she could only remember seeing blood in her eyes before Marcus pulled her away from the man’s half-lifeless body.

Bette glanced at her bandaged hand. Sometimes it troubled her. Her occasional loss of control and violent outbursts… They were all, but innocent. Bette always considered herself a hotheaded person, even when in school she would fly off the handle in class or would agrue with teachers, very well aware of Melvin’s harsh disciplinary methods. The consequences were just insignificant to her during the eclipse of her clear mind. But as soon as she began working for Dominic, her ability of keeping herself under control as if disappeared.

She wondered if she should start to attend Anger Management classes before her first big fight with Tina…

”Baby?”

Bette jumped slightly, having been too immersed in her thoughts to hear Tina slide the balcony door open and walk up to her.