Promise Me Not

by Meagan Brandy

You’ll never change the score if you don’t dare to make the pass, right?

“Pretty Little,” I rasp, her mouth the North Star to my broken compass, leading me fucking home.

“The lady said they grow even in the worst condition because they’re resilient and strong, just like you.” Those blues meet mine, holding with an intensity that has my palms sweating. “The petals, they close at night, only to open again the next day. It’s like coming out of darkness and finding the light again.”