Episode3
1126 Words
Chapter three
Mara
Mara didn’t sleep that night.
She lay on her back staring at the ceiling fan in her apartment as it turned in lazy circles, pushing warm air around the room without really cooling it. Outside, Miami refused to rest. Sirens in the distance. Laughter drifting up from the street. Music thumping somewhere far enough away to be annoying but close enough to feel.
Her mind replayed the forum over and over.
The questions.
The silence.
The way Gabriel Stone had looked at her—not defensive, not dismissive, but alert, like she’d cracked something open that he hadn’t expected to budge.
She hated that it lingered.
Mara rolled onto her side and stared at the cracked wall beside her bed. The apartment was small, old, and far from perfect, but it was hers. Every scuff mark told a story. Every sound was familiar. The thought of losing it made her chest ache.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand.
She ignored it.
It buzzed again.
With a sigh, she reached over and grabbed it, already annoyed—until she saw the name on the screen.
Mateo.
She answered immediately. “Hey.”
“Are you still up?” her brother asked.
“Yeah,” she said softly. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Mateo replied quickly. Too quickly. “I just wanted to check in.”
Mara sat up. “Mateo.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Are they talking about the marina again?”
Her jaw tightened. “Yeah.”
“I figured,” he said. “People have been talking.”
Mara closed her eyes. Mateo was supposed to be focusing on getting his life together, not worrying about her battles. She’d spent years shielding him from the worst of it.
“I can handle it,” she said.
“I know you think that,” Mateo replied gently. “You always do.”
She smiled despite herself. “You calling to lecture me?”
“No,” he said. “I’m calling to remind you you’re not alone.”
Her throat tightened.
“I’ll come by tomorrow,” he added. “We’ll talk.”
“Okay.”
After she hung up, Mara set the phone down and let herself breathe for a moment.
She hadn’t lied at the forum. She wasn’t trying to be brave or impressive. She was just tired of being quiet.
Still, she hadn’t expected him to listen.
The next morning, sunlight poured through the narrow kitchen window as Mara poured coffee into a chipped mug. The smell grounded her, familiar and comforting. She leaned against the counter, scrolling through her phone, skimming headlines she already knew would frustrate her.
A knock sounded at the door.
She frowned. It was early.
Another knock.
“Mara, it’s me,” Sofia’s voice called out.
Mara opened the door to find Sofia standing there with a paper bag in one hand and concern written all over her face.
“Tell me you’ve eaten,” Sofia said.
Mara stepped aside. “Define eaten.”
Sofia rolled her eyes and walked in. “I brought pastries. You looked like you were ready to fight a billionaire last night. That takes fuel.”
Mara snorted softly. “I didn’t fight him.”
“You challenged him,” Sofia corrected. “There’s a difference.”
They sat at the small table near the window. Outside, the city moved like nothing had happened. Like decisions hadn’t already been made behind closed doors.
“He didn’t shut me down,” Mara said quietly.
Sofia raised an eyebrow. “That surprised you?”
“Yes,” Mara admitted. “It shouldn’t have.”
Sofia studied her. “You’re thinking about him.”
Mara looked away. “I’m thinking about what he represents.”
“Sure,” Sofia said, unconvinced.
Mara sighed. “I don’t trust him.”
“That’s smart.”
“But…” Mara hesitated. “He’s not what I expected.”
Sofia leaned back in her chair. “That’s how they get you.”
Mara smiled faintly. “I know.”
A knock interrupted them.
Mara frowned again. No one ever just showed up.
She stood and walked to the door, opening it without much thought.
Gabriel Stone stood on the other side.
Her breath caught before she could stop it.
He looked different in the daylight. Less formal. Still composed, but softer somehow. No jacket this time. Just a crisp shirt, sleeves rolled up, like he’d stepped out of a life that didn’t quite belong here.
“Hi,” he said.
Mara stared at him. “How did you get my address?”
“I asked,” he replied simply. “People talk.”
Her grip tightened on the door. “That’s not comforting.”
“I won’t come in,” he said quickly. “I just wanted to speak with you.”
Sofia appeared behind her. “And you are?”
Gabriel glanced past Mara. “Gabriel Stone.”
Sofia crossed her arms. “Of course you are.”
Mara stepped outside, closing the door behind her. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I know,” he said. “But I didn’t want another room full of people.”
She waited.
“I meant what I said last night,” Gabriel continued. “About listening.”
Mara scoffed. “Listening doesn’t change outcomes.”
“Sometimes it does,” he said. “Sometimes it changes the person making the decision.”
She studied his face, searching for something false. She didn’t find it. That bothered her more than if she had.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Your time,” he replied. “And your honesty.”
Mara shook her head slowly. “You don’t get to show up like this and pretend we’re equals.”
“I’m not pretending,” he said quietly.
Silence stretched between them.
She thought of her mother’s clothes on the line. Of learning too young that wanting fairness didn’t make it real.
“You don’t belong in my world,” she said.
“Maybe,” Gabriel replied. “But you’re already standing in mine.”
Her heart thudded painfully.
“Be careful,” she said. “People like me don’t land softly.”
Gabriel held her gaze. “Neither do I.”
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Mara stepped back. “This doesn’t change anything.”
“I didn’t expect it to,” he said.
As he walked away, Mara leaned against the
door, heart racing.
She didn’t know what scared her more.
The fact that he’d found her.
Or the fact that, against her better judgment, she wanted to hear what he’d say next.
- Writer
