LOGIN“I might die if you do,” he added. Tears stung my eyes unexpectedly.I sighed in defeat and shifted in the bed. “Come here.”He didn’t hesitate. He slipped off his shoes quickly, as if afraid I would change my mind, and climbed into the bed beside me. The mattress dipped under his weight.He folded
Aria.I had curled myself so tightly under the blanket that my knees almost pressed against my chest then I heard the soft scrape at the window, my entire body went rigid.Another sound followed, heavier this time, like someone struggling with the latch.I shot upright in bed, heart hammering. My ha
Kai.I missed the target again by less than an inch. It still wasn’t good enough.Again.The smell of gunpowder clung to the air inside the underground range, thick and bitter, mixed with the damp scent of concrete and old oil. My arms ached from holding the rifle steady for hours. My fingers were s
I blinked hard and forced myself upright.My ears rang and I raised the rifle again with shaking fingers, trying to ignore the sting, trying to focus through the dull pulse spreading behind my eye.I fired.The shot went wide, farther from the target and my father let out a short, sharp breath throu
Kai.I rode home on my motorcycle after practice. Coach had forced us to do drills after classes.The road curved the way it always had, the wind cutting against my cheeks, the engine’s low growl grounding me more than it probably should have. When I slowed at the gate and rolled into the drive, the
Aria.Monday had come anyway and it didn’t care that I hadn’t slept nor did it care that my chest still felt bruised from the inside. I stayed in bed.The afternoon sun glowed into my room, like it was trying to brighten my mood. I lay on my side, facing the closet, knees pulled up to my chest, my b







