Aria's pov
The wedding ended like it had never really begun, no moment to hold on to, no feeling to replay. Days passed, then more, and I stopped keeping track because nothing about it felt like a beginning. Max had changed, he still showed up, still handled business like nothing had shifted, still spoke with that same calm, controlled tone that made people listen without question, but when it came to me… there was distance.
He no longer touched me the way he used to. No hand settling at the small of my back, no quiet pull into his space, no kisses that lingered long enough to mean something. Sometimes there was nothing at all. We slept in the same bed, but it felt like we were worlds apart. I told myself it was the stress, the wedding, Maeve, everything that came with it, but deep down
