Shelovesblack 23 09 21 Lia Lin Apartment Huntin... Official

Lia should have asked more questions. Should have checked for carbon monoxide or hidden fees or clauses about sacrificing small animals. Instead, she looked at the tub full of orchids, the moon outside, the silence that felt like a held breath.

Lia almost smiled. “I don’t own beige.” SheLovesBlack 23 09 21 Lia Lin Apartment Huntin...

Lia should have scrolled past. Instead, she typed: “I’m interested.” Lia should have asked more questions

“I’ll take it,” she said.

Lia choked. “That’s less than my current closet.” Lia almost smiled

The city had been cruel that summer—skyrocketing rents, closet-sized studios with “charming” water stains, and landlords who smiled like sharks. Lia, who always wore black (charcoal sweaters, obsidian earrings, ink-dyed jeans), had grown tired of the hunt. Her current place had a flickering halogen light that made her feel like she was living inside a dying star.

“Rent is seven hundred,” the woman said.