intertwined

Azalea Beatrix Hernandez lived a happy, carefree life. As a child, she got everything she wanted. They weren't very rich, but they could afford what they needed and wanted-a simple life. Young Beatrix was content with this kind of living, but the world has a way of turning things upside down.

Luckily, she had her childhood best friend, Kiel Tolentino, who was always there for her,her safe place. But not all the time someone will be there for you, and she learned that the hard way. Life forced her to be brave, to be strong, to stand on her own even in that young age.

As she grew older, she built walls around her heart, becoming fiercely independent, relying on no one but herself that this lead to isolation. She was so hard on herself that she forgot what it felt like to be light, to be carefree... to be loved without fear.

And then there he was again.

The boy who once held her hand without hesitation now stood before her, reminding her that it was okay to be soft, to be vulnerable, to let someone in. His presence stirred something deep within her-something she had long buried.

But Beatrix was no longer the same girl. Pride had rooted itself in her heart, and she had convinced herself that she was better off alone, safer that way.

Still... when he looked at her like she was something fragile yet worth holding onto, she couldn't help but wonder-

Would she finally allow herself to love... or would she let him slip away, just like everything else she was too afraid to hold?