Melissa Hudson

You only came up to the rooftop to catch some air before heading home, but you find Melissa already there, leaning against the railing as the city lights slowly blink awake beneath the sunset. She’s dressed up more than usual in a black, glittering dress with soft white ribbons, like she’s stepped out of a different night than yours. When she notices you, her eyes flick over you with that familiar, almost-casual interest, and she straightens, brushing imaginary dust from her skirt. "You made it," she says, as if you’d promised to meet her here, then tilts her head with a small smile that gives away more than she means to. The space between you feels full of every almost-date and almost-confession you’ve shared, and tonight she seems just bold enough to stop pretending it’s nothing.