*Alexander*
The memory of Lila’s lips against mine lingers in the back of my mind. I still feel the press of her body against me, the heat of her skin, the sharp intake of breath she made the moment our mouths met.
I should be ashamed. I know that. I shouldn’t have kissed her, not here, not in the village, and certainly not when the smallest rumor could destroy reputations, ruin lives, or worse. And yet, I cannot deny that our kiss has burrowed into me, a fire that refuses to die down.
I pace in my small sitting room, my hands clasped behind my back. Every shadow in the room feels alive, a whispering witness to my indiscretion. The thought of someone having seen us makes my chest tighten. My father’s voice, the neighbors’ whispers, the church elders’ judgmental stares–I can already hea
