Elira's Desires [R-18]

Elira had also been around often. Too often, some might say.

She knew things had gotten bad between Maddox and Alina. The way Maddox's shoulders stayed tense even when he thought no one was looking.

Elira saw all of it. And she decided to do something about it.

She started showing up at his apartment without calling first. Breakfast and a cup of coffee in the morning before she went to work. Takeout for dinner when she knew he'd be too tired to cook. She always had a reason. Always had an excuse ready to stay by his side.

"I was in the neighborhood," she'd say, even when she wasn't.

"I made too much food," she'd claim, holding up containers that were clearly bought just for him.

Maddox never questioned her. He was too grateful for the company to ask why she kept coming back. The silence in his apartment felt heavy when he was alone. Elira's voice filled that silence. Her laugh made the walls feel less empty.