The box in the back of Darren’s closet smelled of cedar and forgotten things. It was buried under winter sweaters he never wore and a deflated camping mattress, a hiding place so obvious it felt clandestine. Inside, wrapped in tissue paper that crackled like distant fire, was not a secret h...
Read MoreThe hotel room was exactly what Alex needed—anonymous, temporary, a space where no one knew them. They set the suitcase on the bed and stared at it for a long moment before unzipping it, revealing the carefully folded contents within.It had taken three years of secret online shopping, of pa...
Read MoreThe invitation was a single line of text, glowing on Felix’s screen: “I have a black velvet dress that would look perfect on you. Come over at 8.” It was from Anya. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic bird in a cage of bone and anxiety. For months, their connection ha...
Read More 