Aloe’s POV
I woke to the faint scrape of metal against ceramic, a sound that made my chest tighten. Blake was in the kitchen. He hadn’t noticed me yet.
My eyes were heavy, my body still wrapped in the fog of sleep, but seeing him move like he belonged there… with his usual quiet, precise, and controlled aura brought a strange comfort.
For a moment, I let myself just watch him, the way his sleeve rolled slightly past his wrist as he poured coffee, the subtle tilt of his head when he tasted it.
Then reality hit. I was still trapped in a life I hadn’t chosen. Wakes’s shadow was everywhere I turned, lingering even here. I sat up slowly, pressing my palms against the mattress, feeling every muscle tense like steel wires.
Blake’s dark eyes caught mine across the room. That calm I had fe
