Maya
~_<
Ryder finally left my house, and the emptiness of his absence hit me harder than I expected.
It wasn’t until the door clicked shut behind him that I realized how long it had been since I’d actually talked to anyone. Not since Liam’s rejection. Not since I kicked Ray out. I turned off all my devices and locked myself away. Streaming? Yeah, not happening. The only thing I kept up with was work—and honestly, that was mostly because Ryder had been around. I didn’t want him seeing me doing nothing.
I walk toward the mirror, glancing at my reflection. I wasn’t one of the “top girls” when it came to beauty, but I knew I wasn’t hard on the eyes if you took the time to look deeper.
I’ve always thought I was pretty—in a way that was more about energy than perfection. But there’s one
