Sheila’s POV
I woke up before my alarm. The room was dim, pale light spilling through the half-closed curtains. My throat felt dry, and my body still ached in strange places not pain, just this heavy awareness that hadn’t faded overnight.
For a few seconds, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to remember what part of last night had been real. The bench. The way Brendan looked at me. The sound of his voice was low, steady, too sure of me.
It had felt like something was shifting, even though he hadn’t touched me. Like I was still carrying his presence in my skin.
When my phone buzzed beside the bed, I grabbed it too fast. Just spam notifications. No message from him. My stomach twisted for no reason.
I pushed the blanket away and sat up, letting the cold air bite at my bare
