Episode Six – Lucia’s Echoes
872 Words
Lucía didn’t sleep that night.
Again.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw headlights disappearing down the block. The smell of camellias lingered like a warning in her apartment, even though she’d never brought them inside. Her skin still held the memory of Valentina’s voice, her scent, the deliberate heat behind her words.
"Because you make me feel something real."
Lucía had heard a lot of lies in her life. From fathers who left. From bosses who promised promotions that never came. From exes who said they could handle the truth.
But that one? That one didn’t sound like a lie.
And that scared her more than anything.
Monday morning crawled by. She dragged herself through her shift at the café, feeling like a ghost in someone else’s life. The espresso machine hissed. Customers complained about their oat milk. Outside, the city bloomed with spring haze and the buzz of too many people trying to matter.
Lucía just wanted to disappear.
But every corner she turned, she felt it.
A shadow. A hum in her chest.
Like something was about to happen.
After her shift, she stopped by her apartment only long enough to shower and change into something clean—black jeans, a faded tee, and her old denim jacket. She needed space. Air. Something to shake off the restlessness clawing under her skin.
She walked. Past the old bookstore where the owner always played Edith Piaf. Past the bodega that kept her favorite pan dulce behind the counter. Past the corner where she’d once kissed someone she shouldn’t have in the dark and pretended it hadn’t meant a thing.
But none of it worked.
Because Valentina Moretti had found a way in.
And Lucía couldn’t shut the door.
She ended up at the riverside.
It wasn’t much. A cracked path lined with graffiti-covered benches and rusted lampposts, where teenagers smoked things they shouldn’t and couples made out like the world wasn’t ending.
Lucía sank onto a bench near the water and stared at her reflection.
What was she doing?
She was a waitress, a caterer. A girl with no safety net, no time for fantasy. Her life was bills, rent, family back home waiting on every paycheck. She didn’t have space for a woman who wore silk like armor and made the world bend without blinking.
And yet—
The thought of never seeing Valentina again hurt in a way she didn’t have a name for.
She ran her fingers through her curls, pulled out her phone, and opened her texts.
Nothing.
No new messages.
She hated that tiny sting of disappointment.
She was about to lock her phone when it buzzed.
One new message.
Unknown Number: Did you make it home safe?
Lucía stared.
Of course it was her.
She should delete it. Block the number. Pretend this wasn’t happening.
But her fingers moved before her thoughts caught up.
Lucía: I did.
No emoji. No invitation.
Still, the response came fast.
Valentina: Good. I worried I might have gone too far.
Lucía hesitated.
Then typed: You did.
Three dots. Then they disappeared.
Reappeared.
Valentina: I’m sorry. I’m not good at wanting things the right way.
Lucía didn’t answer. She tucked the phone into her jacket pocket and let the wind tangle through her hair.
She sat there until the sun dipped low and the river turned to fire.
---
The next morning, a familiar voice jolted her at the café.
"You’ve got someone at table nine," said Mateo, the lanky barista with too many opinions and a heart of gold. "Said she’s waiting for the good coffee."
Lucía frowned. She hadn’t told anyone about Valentina. Hadn’t even let herself think her name for hours. But some part of her already knew.
She crossed the room slowly.
And there she was.
Valentina sat like the café was hers to command—legs crossed, sunglasses pushed up into dark waves, a soft cream blouse tucked into tailored pants. Power and elegance, contained in one effortless slouch.
"You shouldn’t be here," Lucía said under her breath.
Valentina looked up and smiled.
"I wanted coffee."
Lucía folded her arms. "You could have gone anywhere."
"I wanted yours."
The words hit harder than they should have.
"This isn’t a game."
Valentina sobered. "I know."
Lucía glanced around. No one was paying attention. Yet.
She leaned in. "You need to stop showing up like this. I have a life. People who don’t know who you are, and I want to keep it that way."
Valentina studied her. Then nodded slowly.
"Tell me what you want, Lucía. Really want. I’ll leave if that’s what you ask."
Lucía’s throat tightened.
What did she want?
She wanted safety.
Distance.
Peace.
And she wanted Valentina’s voice in her ear again. Her mouth against hers. The way she made the world fall away.
"I don’t know," she whispered.
Valentina nodded. Not smug. Not triumphant. Just… understanding.
"Then I’ll wait."
Lucía’s chest ached.
This wasn’t supposed to be anything. A spark. A glance. A passing thrill.
But now, she was caught.
And Valentina Moretti
wasn’t just a storm in the distance anymore.
She was already inside the walls.
Waiting.
Watching.
And somehow, impossibly—
Lucía wanted to let her stay.
- Writer
