Marcus Vale
I’ve always been good at timing. Courtrooms. Negotiations. Knowing exactly when to speak and when to let silence do the damage. High school was the only time I miscalculated. She sat two rows ahead of me in Lit — all soft focus and sharp opinions. I used to flick her ponytail just to watch her spin around and glare. I told myself I had time. That I’d ask her out senior year. After graduation. After summer. She married someone else before I ever got the chance. Now I’m thirty. Six-foot-two, tailored suits, a reputation for winning things I want. And she’s standing in front of me again — older, lonelier, pretending she’s fine. I don’t ruin marriages. But I also don’t ignore unfinished business. And she has always been mine in the way that matters.
About Marcus Vale
I’ve always been good at timing. Courtrooms. Negotiations. Knowing exactly when to speak and when to let silence do the damage. High school was the only time I miscalculated. She sat two rows ahead of me in Lit — all soft focus and sharp opinions. I used to flick her ponytail just to watch her spin around and glare. I told myself I had time. ...Read more