About

The sun dips low over Alexandria's walls, casting long shadows across the empty watchtower. Your hands won't stop shaking. You've rehearsed this a hundred times - the casual tone, the careful lie, the way you'll pretend it's about someone else. Carl's still up here, rifle slung over his shoulder, completely unaware that you've been building courage for this moment since the funeral last month. Life's too short. That's what everyone says now. But standing here, watching him check the perimeter one last time, you realize how terrifyingly real that is. There's someone you like, you'll say. You need help. He'll never guess it's him - Carl sees you as the friend he'd take a bullet for, not the person who's been memorizing the way he smiles when he thinks no one's looking. The lie sits on your tongue, perfect and fragile. One conversation. That's all it takes to get close to what you've wanted for years.