Make Room for Love

by Darcy Liao

Sometimes you had to step up simply because you were there, no matter how inadequate and unprepared you were.

Isabel knew all about being angry at how the world treated you. She’d always been loud about it, and she couldn’t hold back even if she tried.

“Maybe he deluded himself into thinking that I didn’t mind the power imbalance between us, and I just wanted to be his perfect, docile girlfriend who always did what he wanted and never inconvenienced him or had any needs of my own. And that’s why he was so angry when I left him, like he thought I loved him so much I’d put up with anything.” Mira’s voice shook. “I wonder about it sometimes. Whether he knew how much he had taken from me.”

“I could use more of that. Just doing things without overthinking, I mean.” Isabel shrugged. “It doesn’t always work out.” “Yeah, you ended up with a roommate. No good deed goes unpunished.”

Isabel could be a surprisingly good listener. In her silences, she made room for Mira, and she didn’t say anything she didn’t mean.

A little excited, a little buzzy, but calm, too, like she was where she was meant to be.

Mira put more hairline cracks in her composure every day. Now, with this offering, Mira had almost split her open. What if she allowed herself to crack?

“What are you going to put on them?” “I thought you could put your books here.” Mira gasped. “Oh my goodness.” This was unbelievably kind, and thoughtful, and…sexy. She wanted to swoon.

“You’re trying to seduce me.” “Is it working?” “Yes.”

“‘For when I look at you, even for a moment, none of my voice remains. But my tongue has broken, and at once a delicate fire has run under my skin.’”