LOGINNathan:The moon was beginning to sink toward the horizon, the air growing cooler as the world eased into that tranquil space just before dawn. We moved back toward the car, no sense of haste or urgency between us. It was simply a slow return, each of us settling into ourselves.The two of us didn’t bother falling asleep. It was like the night had its way of controlling what we wanted to do without us meaning to, and we just followed our instincts in being together.I reached for my clothes, pulled them on, and glanced at Mia. I paused, she moved as if she belonged in this place. This wild, unfiltered version of the world seemed to be where Mia was most herself. There was no hesitation in her, no doubt, just a quiet strength with something softer beneath it. That softness was something I had only recently begun to notice.I didn’t look away right away, nor did I pretend I wasn’t watching her. The truth was, I wasn’t just watching, I admired her, and I was sure that she noticed.“What?
Mia:The night felt softer than usual. It wasn’t quiet, it was rare when the forest ever was, even if was alone… it always had its way of having its own noise… but tonight, it felt gentler, as if it wasn’t on edge, waiting for something to snap. Instead, it simply existed, calm and at peace. And even the battle that I constantly had in my mind just seemed to fade into an oblivion that I admired.We stepped out of the car at the edge of the trees. The air was cooler now, tinged with the scent of earth, pine, and something deeper I could never quite name, something that always called to me. Sylvia was already prepared for what was to come, and I knew that she was excited for it. She was more at peace lately, and though I didn’t say it out loud, I knew that the reason behind that peace was right beside me.The moon hadn’t fully risen yet, but it was close. I could feel its pull, steady and familiar, drawing me in.Nathan shut the car door behind him. For a moment, neither of us moved. We
Nathan:I didn’t expect to be here again. Not this soon. Not… like this. Not as normal as this now looked and felt to be around them.I stood in her kitchen, sleeves rolled up, knife in hand, the rich aroma of fresh tomatoes, lime, and cilantro filled the air around me. It all felt unreal, yet not unwelcome, if anything, it was something that my body seemed to crave in ways that I couldn’t even think to admit.“Don’t overdo it,” Mia said, casting a glance at the bowl in front of me. “It’s salsa, not a battlefield.”“I’m precise,” I replied, keeping my tone even.She shook her head. “You’re aggressive,” she countered. “And you need to give it a lot more love.”“Same thing.” I teased, making her playfully roll her eyes, but there was no edge to it this time. That alone told me that things between us were starting to change for the better in a way that I couldn’t even think about describing.Behind us, Brenda leaned against the counter, arms crossed. But this time, she didn’t seem as ten
Tania:The news didn’t come gently. It never did. Instead, it struck like a blade, quick, clean, and merciless.“Regina is dead.” Father said coldly, making my eyes widen in surprise.For a moment, I couldn’t grasp the words. They simply didn’t register, didn’t settle, just floated, as if they belonged to someone else.“What?” My voice sounded hollow, distant. But he didn’t repeat his sentence, he knew that I was asking because I was confused and trying to understand what was going on.“No,” I said immediately, shaking my head. “No, that’s not… she promised that she would be back. How did she…?” I staggered back, grabbing the edge of the table behind me to keep from collapsing. “Did he kill her?”“Yes,” he said, making my chest ache as I fought to breathe.Regina. My sister. The only one who knew me, who stood with me, who chose me, every time. Gone. Just like that. And it was because he fucking killed her!A broken sound escaped my throat, raw, ugly, and real. “She stayed,” I whisper
Mia:I didn’t realize I was smiling until Brenda raised an eyebrow at me that told me that something was different.I walked into the apartment, setting my bag down like any other day, but something felt… lighter.“You look different.” She said, raising an eyebrow. “And if I didn’t know any better, I would have said that you are smiling.”I paused, glancing at her. “What?”Brenda leaned against the counter, arms crossed, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied me. “That face,” she said, pointing at me. “It’s not your usual ‘don’t talk to me unless you have a reason’ face, and you are not putting on your resting bitch face that only loosens up when you see Rosalyn.”I rolled my eyes. “I don’t have that face, and I don’t even put on a resting bitch face!”“You absolutely do.” She said, making my eyes widen in surprise.“I do not.” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.She smirked. “You’re smiling, and it is a real smile.”I blinked, then frowned slightly as I playfully glared at her, r
Nathan:The office emptied slower than usual. People lingered. Talked. Pretended they weren’t watching me walk out with her, they pretended not to be talking about it in the first place, not to be talking about her spending most of the day in my office despite her desk being outside like she had requested…I ignored it, and I could tell that Mia was choosing to ignore it too.Mia stepped out beside me, already reaching for her bag, clearly planning to leave on her own. “Come on,” I said.She glanced at me. “What?”“I’m dropping you home.” I said, and she shook her head at me as if she was doing her best not to say a strict and straight on no.“You don’t have to do that, you know?”“I don’t have to do most of what I do, as far as I understood from the number of times you’ve said that sentence.” I said, making her smile. “But I can assume that you take the bus home, and I want to be the one to drop you off.”“You have a life that doesn’t necessarily revolve around me, you know? And the
Mia:By the time the clock hit five, I felt like I had been holding my breath all day.And every time he spoke my name, I felt like I wanted to punch in the face.But I kept it together. I was sure to make him know that I wanted nothing to do with him, and I was sure that he understood that his pre
Mia:I didn’t remember the ride home. I didn’t even dare take a taxi, choosing the bus in case I needed whatever I had on me to get something for Rosalyn before tomorrow.One second I was walking out of that building, my heart still pounding from the way his fingers wrapped around my arm… And the n
Nathan:The house was quiet when I walked in.And that quiet only made me tense up. Because was like the walls knew that something was about to break.I didn’t say anything as I stepped inside, my eyes already scanning for movement.“She’s in her room, sir,” one of the maids said softly. “She is a
Mia:The room felt smaller the longer I sat in it, and it felt like the walls were closing in inch by inch, pressing the air out of my lungs.I rested my hands on the table, staring at them, trying to stop the slight tremble in my fingers. I didn’t do anything. I kept repeating it in my head, but no







