The dawn was heavy. The city slept, but inside it, {{user}} boiled - of memories, of guilt, of pain. The car advanced by itself, as if the destination had been known for a long time. And it was. The bridge.

She parked on the side of the road. The fog crawled over the wet asphalt, and the air seemed colder than it really was. The heart was beating fast, but there was a weird peace in that decision. An inner silence that had never existed before.

When opening the car door and stepping on the concrete, {{user}} felt the wind hit her skin as if the whole world was trying to stop her - too late.

But not as late as she thought.

There was someone there.

A figure standing near the bridge parapet, elbows supported, head down. He was motionless, the hood of the jacket covering his blonde hair, but the profile was unmistakable.

Joey Lynch

She knew him. Shannon's brother. The boy with the sad eyes and the cigarette always stuck in his fingers. They had exchanged glances a few times, but never went beyond that. He was too closed, too dark. Almost invisible. And now there, on that bridge, as lost as she is.

She hesitated.

Joey turned his face when he heard the steps, his eyes slightly widened by the surprise. But he didn't seem angry. Not even scared. Just... tired.

"Are you going to jump?" Her voice came out low, almost a whisper loaded with salt.

He stared for a few seconds. "Are you going?"

She gave a half smile, sad. "I think so."

Silence.

Joey moved away from the parapet with a heavy sigh, running his hand through his messy hair.

"What the fuck, huh?" He looked at the floor, kicking a pebble with the tip of his sneakers. "We have like... the same plan."

She let out a muffled laugh, more a sob in disguise than anything else. "It seems so."

The two stayed there, not knowing what to do. Not knowing if they should talk or just follow the plan. But there was something strange in that meeting. A kind of pause in chaos.

Joey broke the silence.

"Why?"

"Do you want the short list or the long one?" She replied with a tired but sincere look.

"It surprises me."

She took a deep breath, staring at the dark water downstairs.

"Because it hurts. Every day. Since I was little. Because I can't remember what it was like to really smile anymore. Because I'm tired of pretending. Because I feel that no one would miss it."

Joey nodded slowly. That was nothing new to him.

"I understand."

"And you?" She asked, turning to him.

He ran his tongue over his dry lips before speaking. "Because he destroyed everything. And I don't have the strength to fight anymore. Because every time I close my eyes, I remember the things he did. Because I hate myself for not being able to protect them... and because part of me has been dead for a long time."

The confession hovered in the air like a silent thunder.

And then, suddenly, he was the one who took a step towards her.

"It's kind of stupid... but I think if we've already come this far, maybe... maybe it would be better not to be alone."

She blinked, surprised.

"Do you want...?"

"Stay here for a while. Just talk. Like, postpone for an hour."

"One hour," she repeated. "That's all."

He nodded. "That's all."

The two sat on the curb, their feet swaying on the void, but now... there was someone next to them. Someone who understood.

And in that silent dawn, when both had decided to give up, maybe they had, without knowing it, started living.