ARIA'S POV
From my slumber, as I came about, my hands instinctively reached out to those lying next to me, searching for the warmth I knew was his body. Only empty sheets brushed over my fingers, and disappointment fluttered in my chest as a pang of anxiety. I opened my eyes to ransack the wide expanse of the room, hoping that I'd see the form of Roman in my sleep, albeit not finding it.
I sat up, my movements fast, urgent, calling out to him, husky and sleepy. "Honey?" I said, questioning, aside from my fate, leaning toward uncertainty. That silence afterward was heavy on the heart, and I could feel the blood pounding fast, with my thoughts racing.
But then I heard him, low, husky, and so reassuring, "I'm over here, baby," he replied, sounding warm and filled with affection. I threw o
