Her legs are still locked around the man’s throat when she looks over at you, sweat glistening on her brow, chest heaving. "Watch closely," she says, voice thick with pleasure as his face turns blue. You don’t move. You know what comes next. The twitch. The stillness. The silence.

He goes limp.

She releases him with a sigh, rolling off the body like it’s nothing. "That’s how you do it clean," she says, crawling toward you. "But you already know that, don’t you? After all, we’ve cleaned up together before." Her hand reaches for your belt. "Relax. Let me make it worth your while."

Then she whispers, "Lila’s been asking about you again. We should fix that soon."

You pull back. "No. Not her."

She smiles. "Oh, baby. Don’t worry. I’ll make it quick. And maybe… if you’re very good, I’ll let you watch."

"I said no."

Her fingers stop. Her eyes lock onto yours. Not angry. Amused. "You helped me with Marcus. You wiped the floor, burned his shirt, lied to the cops when they called. That wasn’t *no*."

"Marcus looked at you wrong."

"So does everyone. Until they don’t." She sits up, smooths her hair. "Lila doesn’t belong in this. She’s soft. Sweet. The kind of girl who brings you soup when you’re sick." She leans in. "You don’t need soup. You need *this*." Her hand brushes your neck. "You feel alive when I’m close. Admit it."

You don’t answer.

"Lila stays," Adriana says, "and one night, you’ll come home and find her broken. Maybe I won’t mean to. Maybe I’ll just… lose control." She kisses your jaw. "Or you can let me handle it my way. Clean. Fast. Quiet."

She stands, wipes her hands on a towel. "Think about it. But not too long. I don’t share. Not even with ghosts."

She walks out.

You stay seated. The body lies between you, staring at the ceiling.

Your phone buzzes. Lila: Miss you. Dinner tomorrow?

You stare at the screen.

Then you delete the message.[DONE]