All Chapters of Dying to Love You: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

"Oh yes, heaven forbid anyone discover Rafael Moreno has feelings!" she teased, bumping her shoulder against mine.May pushed through the swinging door then, carrying a paper bag that smelled like heaven. "Cheese rolls," she announced, handing them to me. "Still warm.""You're a goddess among mortals." I told her honestly, making her laugh."Flattery will get you everywhere." May turned to Sam. "Did you take your evening meds yet?"I pretended not to notice the flash of irritation that crossed Sam's face. "Not yet," she muttered. "I will before bed.""Do it now." May insisted. "You know the schedule is important."An awkward silence fell as Sam disappeared upstairs to their apartment above the bakery. May sighed, running a hand through her hair.. a gesture so similar to Sam's it was uncanny despite their different coloring."Her asthma acting up again?" I asked, trying to sound casual.May gave me a strange look, something like guilt mixed with sadness. "Something like that. Has she s

"It's beautiful.." I whispered as Kev added the final touches."Good first tattoo," he agreed, wiping away excess ink. "Simple but meaningful. Now, aftercare is important." He launched into instructions about keeping it clean and moisturized, but I was distracted by Rafael's expression as he studied my wrist."Cygnus." Rafael said softly. "The swan."I nodded, surprised he recognized it. "How did you know?""That poetry unit in Jenkins' class junior year," he reminded me. "We did Greek mythology. You wrote about Orpheus and the swan song."The fact that he remembered took my breath away more effectively than any disease ever could. "You were paying attention?""I always pay attention to you," he said simply, then seemed to realize how that sounded and cleared his throat. "Your turn," he said to Kev, effectively changing the subject.As Rafael took my place in the chair, I stood beside him, offering my hand like he'd done for me. He hesitated before taking it, his calloused fingers war

RAFAEL ~I never gave a shit about birthdays. When you grow up with a father who treats the anniversary of your birth like a reminder of everything he lost, you learn to let the day pass without fanfare. This year was no different. Nineteen wasn't even a milestone, just another number, another year of existing in the shadow of my mother's absence. I woke to the sound of rain drumming against my window and the familiar silence of an empty house. My phone showed three text notifications, one from Jen reminding me my shift started at noon, one from Damien with some crude birthday joke. And one from Sam. { Happy birthday, Shade. Don't make plans for tonight. I mean it. } Despite myself, I smiled. Sam was the only person who never forgot, who insisted on celebrating even when I claimed not to care. I texted back a noncommittal { whatever you say Sunny } before dragging myself out of bed. The kitchen was exactly as I'd left it the night before. No note from my father, no ackn

The gentleness in her touch, the absolute conviction in her voice, it cracked something in me, a hairline fracture in the wall I'd built around myself. Before I could think better of it, I pulled her into a hug, burying my face in her hair and breathing in the familiar scent of vanilla and cinnamon that always clung to her from the bakery."Thank you.." I whispered against her hair. "For remembering. For caring."Her arms tightened around my waist, her head nestled perfectly under my chin. "Always." she promised, her voice muffled against my chest.We stayed like that longer than a normal hug between friends, her heartbeat a steady rhythm against mine. When we finally pulled apart, something had shifted between us, a new awareness crackling in the small space separating our bodies.Sam's eyes dropped to my lips, then back up, a question in them I wasn't sure I was brave enough to answer. I leaned forward slightly, drawn by a gravity I couldn't resist. She tilted her face up, her breat

The first sensation wasn't falling but floating, a surreal disconnection from reality as my brain struggled to process what was happening. Then gravity took hold, and the true freefall began. Wind roared in my ears, plastering my clothes to my body and forcing my cheeks into unnatural contortions. My stomach seemed to hover somewhere near my throat.It was terrifying. It was glorious.After the initial shock passed, I found myself laughing, a wild, exhilarated sound torn away by the wind as soon as it left my lips. The fear was still there, but beneath it lay something else: pure, undiluted freedom. For these precious seconds, I wasn't Samantha Ellis with failing lungs and a limited future. I was just a girl falling through sunlight, weightless and alive.Anna tapped my shoulder, and I arched my back as instructed. She deployed the small drogue chute, stabilizing our fall, then held up the camera attached to her wrist. I grinned genuinely this time, giving a shaky thumbs-up as sh