From Ocean's Grave To Queen

nor

I couldn't bear to watch another second of Blake comforting her, his eyes full of concern for Hay

ave stumbled, his earlier injuries catching up to him. He was probably hurt from saving me. A tiny

ut through the night. "Blake!

remor in my soul. I dialed 911, rattled off the location and the situation in a calm, precise vo

hem. I ended up at the hospital, paying the emergency room bills for Blake, then watched from behind the glass doors as Hayleigh fussed over him, her tears flow

h squeaked, pulling back slightly as I approached. I placed the envelope, containing the payment receipt for h

his voice rough. "Let me expl

. "Mr. Griffin, you need to rest. No more

ief against the heat of my shame and anger. Without conscious thought, my feet carried me to the old noodle shop in

e. "Eleanor, my dear! Haven't seen you in ages.

d into her shop, two penniless kids sharing a single bowl of noodles, dreaming o

y mood. "A bowl of yo

I pulled out my phone. A calendar reminder. Our first

high-pitched voice cut through the quiet. "Oh, is this w

taurant. She spotted me, a smirk playing on her lips. "Eleanor. Fancy meeting you here. Blake sent me for a p

had loved Mrs. Lee's no

efers lighter, fresher things now. Less... heavy. He finds heavy things quite repulsive, act

foods, he said, made his heart race in all the wrong ways. And the heavy things? He used to say he relied on them, on the things with substance and weight, to ground hi

structed innocence faltering.

hip, "some people prefer stability over novelty.

closing like a fish. She turned, stomped out of

mforting hand on my arm. "Don't you worry

vor now bland, then pushed the bowl away. I left Mrs. Lee with a generous tip, a silent apology for the scene, and walked out

osts of past conversations, shared laughter, and stolen kisses swirling around me. Ev

row alleyway, a place even I avoided at night. My instincts, honed over years of navigating Miam