LOVE IN DUNGEON

es-quiet, steady, an

the mornings, washed cups, and served coffee to sun-weathered men who tipped in stories instead of d

or fix. He never stayed long, but he'd nod at her with a soft grunt th

uch, but when they

group of kids raced past her, their laughter rising with the wind. She was ab

king off another b

's coffee isn't bad.

one way to say it ta

ted. "Mind

make space.

that didn't beg to be filled. Just the s

first. "You eve

die. "I don't know. I came here trying to escape s

d slowly

retend." She glance

Pretending takes too much energy. I

ensing he mig

dad. I built everything around that idea. Sacrificed. G

h caught. "

nfirmed it. She left. Took most of what I owned.

y," Mia w

f. Just... not good at t

ed. "Me

er. "Want to t

use he had trusted her w

me, love me, then drain me. Money, attention, everything. And I let t

ed. "You are enough,

is it so hard to believe

cause we've only ever heard it

ng against the shore, as i

up at Nancy's diner with a ba

s my life tastes better

u trying to bribe me

t thought you'd cook i

he counter. "Careful, Jackson. Th

omething about nosy old ladies be

with a grin tug

s

some grilled vegetables Mia had found in Nancy's fridge. The old wood

in his chair. "You k

at

ere to run. But somehow, we ended

down her fork. "And

now. "A man who didn't t

lowed. "

red on her a m

m not s

that night, the oce

her heart didn'

a new rhythm-one that matched

ng, Mia woke b

of gulls wheeling above the sea. She pulled on a sweater and s

as the first light broke the horizon, painting the world in pale

otsteps until Jackson was standing beside her, coffee cup

er?" he asked, his v

ead. "Didn't wa

of dawn, the kind of silence tha

ook it, fingers brushing his. Warmth bloomed there, l

oke. "I used to think hea

anced

g out at the water. "It's about

hadn't been ready to hear th

ide by side, watchin

want to be someone who re

urved into someth

lready

diner. White paint smudged her jeans and streaked her arms, but s

g just enough to toss a wave and a lazy smi

ed over itself, s

oy's been broken, honey. Same as you. But sometimes

again, pretending t

of something tend

ve, no

methin

hing

ht just grow into the kind of love that

tides between them

, she had found someth

d under a soft sunset, Mia wandered down to the docks. The air smelled of sa

that had been sitting half-sunk in the harbor since she arrived. His sleeves were rolled up

I'm knee-deep in a bad

crate nearby. "Wh

nking about fixing this old thing

Is that before or after

low in his chest. "Could use a p

g-an invitation she wasn't sure how to answer yet. So instead

ea

For a while, they didn't talk-just existed, breathi

n the waves. "You ever wonder if maybe... t

thought about herself, about him, about the boat-and about how sometimes

almost a whisper

deck, dusted off his hand

s see if we can fix

ed against her ri

ok his

a long time, she didn't

like she