The next morning felt lighter than the ones before it.
Not because everything had suddenly become simple, but because something unspoken between us had shifted. The apartment no longer felt like a place we were merely sharing out of obligation. It felt lived in. Familiar. Like the air itself had adjusted to the fact that we were learning each other in ways that went beyond a contract.
Asher was already dressed when I came out of the bedroom, sleeves rolled up, hair still slightly damp. He looked… nervous. That alone caught my attention.
“You’re unusually quiet,” I said as I walked toward him. “That usually means you’re planning something.”
He smiled, but it wasn’t his usual confident one. “Or maybe I’m just trying to impress you.”
That made me laugh. “You don’t need to try that hard.”
