Riley:
The bottle was gone. I didn’t even remember finishing it; I only remembered how the room had softened, edges blurred, and shadows swayed like they were in on a secret.
I slumped against the couch, toes curling into the rug, warm all over from wine, bathwater, and something else I couldn’t name. Cade was on the other end, sprawled like a man who didn’t know how to relax but was trying anyway. One arm thrown over the backrest, glass dangling from his fingers.
We’d been laughing—actually laughing—about Logan’s date, about the way they’d nearly bulldozed the lamp on their way upstairs. And then the laughter ebbed, leaving behind a quiet that felt heavier than it should.
I turned my head, studying him. His jaw was sharper in the low light, his hair mussed, and his eyes darker than wi
