The Girl With The Map

Spirales still

people walked faster, but the silence underneath the streets was still there. It remained

day like a ghost. I was no

t recognize me. T

lexandria died the

tly, fast, and invisibly. I didn't speak to anyone unless I had to. I didn't stay

ots-even in movies. The way I froze when someone raised their voice. Or the map tattooe

. He didn't whisper it into

ocations. Secrets men were willing to kill for. And now I carried

. It suited me. Drunks didn't notice what they weren't meant to see. My shift started late

unter. "Table six wants whiskey. Top s

towel and nodded, ba

ing too hard to disappear. I'd stopped trying to sort them

his o

back booth wasn

say I'm not here to impress you. He sat with his arm draped c

room. The air. The silence. And wh

orgot how

He looked familiar-not in the face, not exactly-but in the way he watc

ace blank, and turned

Don't think

steady hands, but my sto

't look

feel his gaze tracking me. Not in the way drunk men did-not lazy or lustful. His star

the drink onto the table

at," I said, t

it

aus

like a challenge. I should've kept walking. I don't take orders fr

"You got question

lips. "Just thought you looked li

laughed

ering to buy

ightly. "Maybe I'm

f the booth, steadying myself. "Look, I don't do m

a, r

name like he'd said it bef

"How do you k

ss. "The bartende

is man made my skin prickle-like my body

m around her

head. "No

aning back. "You've

And what exactly

hiskey. "Sharp.

heek. "Sounds like half

you," he said, eyes holdi

ke the way his words felt-too smooth, too e

back, "thanks for the d

could turn, h

ays this

ile. "Only when men who smell like mon

enuine. "You're i

wer. I just

udding in my chest

Rosa raised a

Just anothe

He looked like he eats c

n't r

... I had a feeli

wo

me wanted to

leaned glasses like I always did-same motions, same rhythm-but my mind wasn't behind the bar anym

self he w

hrough. A face that

s screaming s

above my head. The mop bucket hadn't been emptied. The silence

y phone. Opene

made my chest tighten. I type

take lon

feared mafia leader, returned from Milan

ds wen

eadline told me every

in the

sm

ey

a G

pulled the trigger, and

l my phone slipped out of my grip a

s across the glass like they w

let him speak to you. Y

dn't

crying a l

skin felt tight. I couldn't br

stepped out the back

k wall, sucking in air like it owed me peace. Somewhere down the block, a c

omewher

hat marbl

vered in

side my fat

smiled at the s

...I'd l

work clothes, staring at the ceiling fan and trying not t

't reco

just a child... now I'm a woman. Different face. Differ

couldn't s

he does

appens