The Devil Wears Black

by L.J. Shen

I put my arms around her, my lips brushing her hair. She smelled of flowers and coconut and my potential demise.

It’s not that I don’t suffer from the same symptoms as you—jealousy, heartache, insecurity. They’re the side effects of being alive, pretty much. But I learned a simple thing recently. That gap between reality and our dreams? That’s where life is tucked.”