“Anyway,” she starts again, “I spotted Idris across the bar—one of those underground places Mom would actually die over if she knew I’d been inside…But I thought he was cute. And then, out of nowhere, he asks me to dance. We talked, stayed out too late, and…it just snowballed. One show became three. Then suddenly we were official.”
His grin widens. “That’s awesome!”
And it is. He can’t remember the last time she sounded genuinely excited about someone. Usually, his sister dated out of curiosity, boredom, or to spite their parents.
“So…he’s a writer? Like screenplays? V-link sessions? I thought Premiere Corp’s AIs handled that.”
Maria snorts. “He’d light himself on fire before writing for Premiere Corp.” She kicks her heels. “It’s underground stuff. Little projects with friends. They post on this weird corner of V-link called the Veil.”
He raises a brow. The name rings a bell. Maybe something Kane or his crew mentioned.
“You probably haven’t seen any. They disappear half the time, anyway. Network glitch, or his friends being dramatic. Who knows?” Her smile turns shy. “But I’m sure I’ll figure it out now that we’re….you know, living together.”
“In South Marina?” Rafael blurts, recalling his mother’s words.
She freezes for a second before chuckling. “Yeah…”
His stomach sinks. South Marina is in the Outer Districts, no doubt as dangerous as Shreveport. Especially without a crew like Kane’s patrolling the streets.
Rafael chooses his next words carefully, “And you…like living with him?”
“I won’t lie.” She exhales slowly. “It’s not easy. I haven’t found work since quitting VitaCorp, and I’m still getting used to everything Idris and his friends get up to…But I love the guy, Rafa.”
Love.
The word lands heavier than expected, unsettling something inside him.
Memories surface before he can stop them, of Kane smirking on his HOV bike and their fingers brushing in Tastebud.
The knot in his chest sharpens.
But he shakes his head.
No, Maria’s situation is different. She and Idris are in love. He simply cared for Kane.
Only the thought doesn’t leave as the man’s words echo in his mind.
“I’m in love with you, Rafael.”
At the time, Rafael froze, too afraid of what could go wrong to consider what he actually felt.
Now, listening to Maria, his mind returns to their rooftop date. He questioned his feelings then.
But was he wrong?
Maria laughs suddenly, snapping him to the present. “I know. You probably think I’m crazy. I’ve never lived in the Outer Districts. I’ve visited—at concerts, anti-corp rallies—don’t tell Mom.” She winks. “And yeah, it’s fast. Butsometimes you just know, right?”
His mouth opens, then snaps shut.
She hops off the counter, expression tensing. “Okay, what? Are you judging me like Mom and Dad? You think he’s dangerous?”
“Maria—”
“Yeah, all right. He and his friends do some risky stuff. They’re always up stupid-late, running around for their projects or whatever. Most nights, I don’t even know where Idris is until morning. That’s…artists, you know? They get obsessed. It doesn’t mean he’s some criminal.”
“No, that’s not it!” Rafael blurts before correcting himself. “I…I understand more than you know.”
Maria stares at him.