Naomi Velez
I sat on the cold floor of Viper’s trap with my back pressed against the bed and the silence driving me crazy. He’d just left, his footsteps fading down the hall, but his last words stuck in my head like a song.
"Relax, honey, for once in your life, make yourself come first." It stung because it was true. I’d always been the bright one, the friend who smiled and fixed things—Maria’s messes, my family’s fights, everyone’s problems but mine. And what did I get? Not much. No sweet words whispered in my ear, no hands pulling me close under the stars. Romance? That was a story for someone else.
The room felt empty, the air thick with the smell of his cologne. I glanced at the clock on the wall. Tick, tick, tick. Time crawled slowly; Each second I grew impatient. I was waiting fo
