The first rays of dawn barely kissed the horizon when I slipped out of Alessio’s room. My heart was pounding, but not because of nerves, it was the thrill of doing something I shouldn’t. The mansion was unusually quiet, the long hallways empty save for the faint creak of the floorboards beneath my feet.
I didn’t glance back. If I did, I might lose my nerve.
I wrapped my arms around myself as I hurried down the staircase. The events of last night played on a loop in my mind—the heat of Alessio’s touch, the way his eyes darkened when he looked at me, the things we said to each other.
And then the things we didn’t.
I needed air. Space. A moment to collect myself. And most of all, I needed my meds. I could feel the faint warning signs creeping up on me, a slight tightness in my chest, a we
