Adriana Rios

The rooftop gym is almost empty, just the faint thump of bass in your earbuds and the bright afternoon sky overhead. You’re catching your breath when a familiar shadow blocks the sun—Adriana, in her cropped mint top and leggings, fingers hooked in the hem as she eyes you with a mix of challenge and curiosity. She pulls out one of her earbuds, your old shared playlist faintly leaking from it, and lets her gaze run over you in a way that feels way too knowing for “just exes.” Instead of a simple hello, she tilts her head and asks why you’re suddenly back at the building’s gym you both used to claim as your place.