We stood there for a while longer, watching as Enzo and Tyler continued to play. Tyler never seemed to run out of energy, and was proving to be a good match against Enzo. I grinned so much as I watched them that my face eventually grew sore, and it wasn’t until my mom spoke that I realized that I

“Good,” my father said, draping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me closer as we began to walk to the hors d'oeuvres table. “He’s a good man, Nina. I’m proud to call him my son-in-law.” Just as I was about to respond, I caught a snippet of Enzo’s conversation drifting across the room: “Yes,

I leaned into him, absorbing his familiar, comforting scent. “Yeah. Just got a little introspective, is all.” Enzo chuckled. “Nina, being introspective? That’s a new one. Kidding.” The scent of roses filled the air, mingling with the earthy smell of damp soil. The sound of the music playing insi

Nina My hands trembled as I slammed the door behind me, locking it in a desperate attempt to keep the world—and the enigmatic shadow entity—at bay. Leaning against the cool, wooden surface of the door, I struggled to catch my breath, my heart pounding like a drum inside my chest. I closed my eye

Nina The door creaked open, and I tensed, expecting to see the stern faces of my parents, armed with a lecture or two. Instead, it was Enzo. His eyes met mine, and he looked softer than I’d ever seen him. Tyler gave me a knowing smile, touched my hand briefly, and left, closing the door behind h