Contracted Heart

a's

cafe at 9:47 p.m., sipping on something that claimed to be cappuccino but tasted like regret. The barista was already

ctly twelve dollars and thirty-five cents in coins. I counted them twice. Still twelve thirty-five. Not enough for rent, or eve

e fifth time today. Every listing either wanted a $500 deposit upfront,

three nights. I'd been couch-hopping for a while, until the last friend finally told me, in the

I didn't

ded a

ro

ll

I cou

where no one

red, ready to give up for the night

fore viewing. 1 bed. 1 bath. No qu

Just... cold, clinical words that fel

ade it

, is-this-a-drug-den cheap. I snorted. Probab

options? Rot in this booth all night with passive-aggressive bar

lic

up a m

he room still available? I don't

e

. Look at me, all brave and reckless. M

Because of course it was. The city loved drama. I checked the time-10:01 p.m. Great. One hou

and stood up, brushing crumbs off my hoodie. T

-

hin into my coat, the cold biting through the thin fabric like it knew all my secrets. Funny how I could run from places, people, even my own past, but I could never outrun the feeling that I was still waiting for something. Not a prince, not a miracle, just a break-a little space to breathe without the constant pressure of looking over my shoulder. I

eal place to crash, even one with weird rules and some mystery guy calling the shots? It felt like a tiny spark in a room full of darkness. Maybe thi

eavy, just annoying enough to soak your socks. I found a semi-dry spot unde

ing spam or another rejection from a

o

ew me

ackstone. Tomorrow. 8P

idn't sound sus

ut from that little tickle of unease. The kind you feel when

il

a res

rin

e got a da

pocket and leaned back against the cold wall, eyes f

ly. A

sounded like a

ially becau

kindness. I di

r, four walls, and a roof

uldn't come

alking into so

st it'd make