The moment Zayn left the island, something inside Lena loosened and hollowed out at the same time, as if the tension that had been keeping her upright had finally released, only to leave behind a vast, echoing emptiness she hadn’t been prepared for.
Relief came first.
Pure, undeniable relief.
She could breathe again without feeling his presence pressing against her skin, without that constant awareness of him in every room, every silence, every breath she took.
The villa felt quieter, lighter, as if the walls themselves had exhaled when he boarded that ship. And yet, almost immediately, the quiet became oppressive, wrapping around her like a heavy fog, making the luxury feel excessive, foreign, almost obscene.
Marla invited her to lunch not long after, her voice gentle, careful, as i
