When Liviana was a teenager, she had this habit.It wasn’t a nervous habit of chewing her nails or one of those things people labelled as a cute thing she couldn’t help but do, like playing with her hair or twisting her rings, maybe some inappropriate giggles.Instead, it was much darker.There were a few instances where she found herself... spiraling. She got too close to someone, and she would push them away. She would get scared- intimidated at the thought of having someone know her, to see her thought process and learn her feelings, her intimate feelings that no one knew, not even her... It was a terrifying thought. And so, to deal with that thought, or more so, to not have to deal with it, Liviana would spiral.She would push people away- ghosting them and dropping them, and when those simple, less messy ways of disposing of people failed her, she would force them away.How? You may wonder. How could this girl perceived as such an angel be able to just chase people away like it w
“Liviana..?”Her heart skips a beat, hammering against her ribcage in a painful rhythm that leaves her ears ringing. “No-“ she mutters, a whisper as the name repeats in her ears, rolling off his tongue like it had a million times before. No, no, no.“I-“His voice sends shivers down her spine and his words fade into nothing but white noise, and it was then that Liviana realized she couldn’t hear anything. It was like her head was being held underwater, and she was drowning all over again.Her head hurt and her heart felt like it was going to explode.He couldn’t be here- no, this couldn’t be real. “There’s no way,” she breathes, falling back into the bar as the dizzy spell hits. Blinking through the tears, she forces the word- a name she never wanted to speak again. “Dom..?” She whispers like an accusation, the name spilling like poison from her painted lips. “I- I-“ she shakes her head, feeling as though the room was spinning as she asks, “No- no- no- how... how did you find me?”The
Patience is a virtue.Something we’ve all heard once or twice, told to breathe and relax and have some patience. Because, to most, patience is a virtue.Patience is kindness, and it is grace.It’s the way a lily pad floats on the water. Patience is elegance.It’s the way the wind blows through your hair, soft and light, giving that pleasant chill as it brushes against your skin. Shivering at the feel, the goosebumps rise. Patience is refreshing.It’s that moment when you break through the water, coming up to the surface for that breath of fresh air. Patience is cleansing.Patience is that moment in the morning, when you first wake up and everything is calm and feels just right. Nothing matters at that moment. Patience is serene.Patience is for the people with the kindest hearts and the strongest of wills. It’s a skill- a talent, even. And one only the best of people possess. Because patience is a virtue.For most of her life, Liviana has always agreed with this outlook. She agreed th
Growing up, Liviana was taught a lot of things.Patience is a virtue.Curiosity killed the cat.Sharing is caring.Hope only ever leads to disappointment.Beauty is a weapon.Safety first.There were more- of course there were. But above everything else, there was always one lesson that was drilled into her head, over and over again.And that lesson was about forgiveness. Forgive and forget."You can't stay mad forever," they would tell her, preaching about how unhealthy it was to hold on to a grudge. Pent up anger... it never did anything but boil over and burn a person.And for her, it did just that.Liviana would listen- taking those lessons to heart as she let everyone do whatever they wanted, walking all over her like some sort of doormat. And when they were done, after they had stomped all over her, dirtying her name and reputation, destroying all of her confidence... she would still smile. She would stand up, dusting herself off and taking in all the damage they had done, and s
People are like puzzle pieces.It was something Liviana often thought about, comparing human beings to little pieces of cardboard. Comparing their beings to those pieces with edges and cutouts that sit and wait, wondering when they would find their other piece.And it took a while. Through mixed matches and being forced together- finding those that you thought were right only to find out that there was something wrong and it wouldn’t work, no matter how badly you could have wanted it to. Because some things just weren’t meant to be. Some people simply weren’t compatible. Because people are like puzzle pieces, and they needed their perfect match to fit.That was one side to the story, at least. One theory- a legend to fit in with all those others. For example, the invisible string theory.The invisible string theory Liviana had once heard about had the girl obsessing over the inner workings of the universe. For so long she would ponder the theory, letting it consume her as she thought
Blaze Castelli was a simple man.He wanted very few things out of life. Money, success, respect, power... And at the bottom of the list, peace, happiness, euphoria.He wanted luxury. He wanted all the best things that life had to offer. And he wanted it now, delivered to him on a silver platter that sparkled.Express mail, he used to say. Telling the universe to send it over ASAP.He was demanding, to say the least. And as a child, he was more. He was worse.“But I don’t want broccoli!” A young Blaze would cry, just repeating the same argument they have had every night for the past month. “I want mashed potatoes!”“Blaze!” Elara would huff, glaring down at the ten-year-old whose face had gone red with rage over what he would call such a disappointment of food. “You will eat what is given to you, or you will not eat at all.”“Broccoli is meant for bunny rabbits and- and raccoons! And other animals, and I’m not an animal!” He would cry, arms flailing as he argued that he would eat anyth
Blaze Castelli is a complicated man.It was a line that had been fed to Liviana for as long as she had known the man. From the moment they met she had been given these warnings, having all his loved one’s precaution her.“He’s more than just those rumors.”“He’s not a bad guy.”“Just give him time. He’ll come around.”And all she could say was “okay”, and go about her day. Even if she was an impatient person- even if she had no time to give, it’s not as though she had a choice but to wait for him. He was her husband. And more than that, he practically owned her now.From the moment they had signed that contract, she knew that it was over. From the second the ink dried on that marriage license, Livi knew that her life was over. Figuratively, and she was sure that one day it would be literally. The question was only when would that be?It was a question that often plagued Liviana’s sick mind. Asking herself what role her doting husband would play in her untimely demise. She wondered wha
For as long as she could remember, Liviana had held a hatred for this one trope.Through all the books she’s read and all the fiction she’s seen through a screen, watching TV shows and movies, there was only ever one trope that she never could stand. And that trope was a love triangle.They weren’t real; she thought. She didn’t believe in them- choosing to call them lies and refusing to give them her mind, treating them the same way she would when she claimed not to believe in goblins and ghouls and all those other tall tales told to scare children into good behavior. They didn’t exist. Except for when they did.It was a rare event in reality; she liked to believe. Choosing to pretend that they were events contained on a screen or a page. One of the few true works of fiction. At least, that was what she told herself. That’s what the hopeless romantic inside her longed to believe- wishing for nothing more to be true. Because if it wasn’t, then that stubborn heart of hers would have to