Robert’s POV
Hours earlier, 7:35am
The room felt smaller than usual, the walls closing in as I sat on the edge of the bed. The clock on the nightstand ticked relentlessly, each second echoing my unease. Tessa had been gone all night, her absence a gaping void that I couldn't ignore.
I stared at my phone, willing it to ring. But it remained stubbornly silent. Where was she? What had kept her away? The rational part of me knew that people had lives beyond their partners, that independence was healthy. But the irrational part—the part that loved her fiercely—wanted answers.
Did she think so little of me? Was I not worthy of knowing her plans, of being a part of her day? The questions circled like vultures, picking at my resolve. Maybe I was being unreasonable. Maybe she had a valid reaso
