Page 20 of Raziel
I’m not safe, but I feel good.
Temporary good.
And she clings to that.
She moves like she’s in control, but underneath it, she’s lost. Hurting. Wearing confidence and sexuality like armor—and still bleeding through it.
She plays it cool, but she’s got regrets she can’t shake, and shame she won’t name.
But there’s something soft still breathing inside her.
She’s funny, kind, and warm. She has personality. Fundamentally, she’s a good girl.
I see her.
She’s the kind that stays on your mind forever.
The girl you think about when you marry the safe one—or the one you’re forced to.
When you become the guy that only smiles for photos. Build a life that looks good on paper.
Maya is the kind of girl whose mouth you remember.
Her fire.
Her noise.
The damage.
The pleasure.
How loving her never felt cut and dry—
But at least it made you feel something.
And that’s what makes her dangerous.
Because you kill for women like her.
Or you have to killthemand then yourself, because you can’t live without them.
And I couldn’t afford that kind of weakness.
Not when I made a deathbed promise.
The song ended.
Then started over.
Maya stared at me from across the room like I was the problem.
Maybe I was.
I cleared my throat and set the food down. “Eat.”
She didn’t move. Just looked at me like she was waiting for something else. Something softer. Something I didn’t have.
But I wanted to give it anyway.
