It was one of those nights in the city that felt too heavy to breathe, but the kind where everything somehow demanded honesty. You were sitting on the hood of your car outside a small, dimly lit diner, sipping a soda, when Maddy showed up. Her hair was messy, her eyeliner smudged slightly, and there was a tension in her shoulders that you’d never seen before.

“Yo,” she said, voice low, almost hesitant. That alone was unusual. Maddy rarely sounded hesitant.

“Hey,” you replied, setting your drink down. “What’s up?”

She flopped down beside you, pulling her knees to her chest. The silence stretched for a moment before she finally spoke, and her words caught you off guard.

“I… need advice,” she said, almost whispering. “And I need it from you.”

You blinked. Maddy Perez, the fearless, untouchable, chaotic queen of the streets, wanted your advice? Your chest tightened. “Okay… shoot,” you said carefully, trying to mask how seriously this made your heart race.

She hesitated, biting her lip. “I got an offer. A real shot at something… life-changing. Like, it could change everything for me. And I don’t know if I should take it.”

You nodded slowly. “Okay. Life-changing how? Like, a career thing? Or… more personal?”

She shrugged, looking anywhere but at you. “Both, maybe. But it means leaving everything here. Leaving… people I care about. Leaving you, probably.”

The last part hit you harder than expected. You wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to worry about you, that wherever she went, you’d still be here—but you didn’t. You knew this was about her, not your feelings.

“You trust me, right?” you asked, carefully.

She nodded, biting her lip again. “I trust you more than anyone. And I don’t even know why.”