Chapter 03
I woke up the next morning with bruises blooming along my throat, lips swollen, thighs aching in the best way. But the bed beside me was empty—just as I’d known it would be.
Cole hadn’t stayed.
I half-expected a knock on my door, or even a glance in the hallway when I left for errands. Instead—silence. Not even the faint hum of music through the wall.
The longer it stretched, the more it gnawed at me.
By the third day, I found him outside the building, cigarette between his lips, eyes hidden beneath the shadow of his cap.
“Cole.”
He didn’t look at me. “Clara.”
My chest tightened. “Are you really going to ignore me after what happened?”
His jaw worked. He flicked the cigarette away, finally meeting my gaze. His eyes were sharp, burning—but shuttered. “What happened was a
