GWEN
I stared at the ceiling, blinking the sleep from my eyes, hoping maybe I’d dreamed it all. That he’d still be there, that his body would still be warm, his arm still flung over my waist like he'd done before.
But the bed was empty.
Of course it was.
The ache in my chest was quieter than last night, dulled by fatigue and something colder– clarity.
Whatever happened between us... it had meant something to me. But to him, it was just a moment. A mistake.
And I couldn’t afford to drown in it.
So I stopped looking for him after that.
I didn't go near his wing of the house. I didn't linger in the hallways hoping to see him.
I didn't ask Raya what he was doing or whether he'd said anything about me.
I stopped wondering what I meant to him. I stopped pretending I might mean anythi
