u, instead you are going to the cli

m fine f

so, I was literally terrified

e?" Valen asked

ost lifeless,

U

...

't stop bringing it up every time their paths crossed in t

rms crossed, refusing to look a

is isn't

ing to make su

ne that made it very clear he

eady walking away before

e faster mor

green dress, simple, not trying too hard, except she'd tried on eleven pieces of jewelry before landing on the small gold earrings her mom

on a date," she to

and by the time Maya made it out of her room, her mother was al

's boss," her mom

like that,"

him except the way he still stood like he owned whatever room he entered. His eyes found Maya the second she stepped int

nd somehow that landed harder than

id, immediately regretting h

, said nothing at al

he A

on an actual date, whatever that meant for the two of them tonight. Maya expected Valen to be ou

him after he missed the basketball h

owing yo

are

tely allowin

e'd expect from someone who ran a multibillion dollar company, muttering somethin

ually failed at three separate times, Maya realized she'd stopped thinking about blood on the floor entirely. Sto

rage door. She told him about her first job, scooping ice cream at fourteen and getting fired within a month for eating mor

night gone cool and quiet after the noise inside, something b

wrapped around herself against th

her w

, not quite ready to end

ething from me," she sai

w you

going to

ton

a warning, the same way he'

step back

ace, gentle in a way that felt completely at odds with everything she'd seen him do, and then his lips were on hers