Rafael's Point of View Diego does not speak at first. He just stares down at me, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression carved from stone. The kind of man who does not need words to make his point. He is taller than me, broader too, his shoulders squared like he has been carrying battlefields on his back his whole life. I do not back down. I hold his gaze until he finally grunts and turns around, jerking his head towards the tree line. “Let's move.” I follow after him, my jaw tight. Every step feels like a test. He does not slow down for me, he does not look back to check if I am keeping up. His strides are deliberate, ground eating, like he is trying to see how quickly I will fall behind. But I don’t. I match him step for step, even as my chest heats with the effort. After a
