Chapter 4:
Breaking the Silence
Dinner that evening felt like the longest meal of my life. I had changed into something more presentable after the embarrassing incident in James’s room, but the memory of seeing him naked still burned in my mind. I set the table carefully, making simple pasta and salad, hoping the domestic act would soften the tension. James came down silently and sat at his usual place, his expression unreadable as always.
I served him a plate, my hands slightly shaky. “James, I am sorry about earlier. I should have knocked before entering your room. I did not mean to invade your privacy like that. It was thoughtless of me.”
He simply nodded, picking up his fork without looking at me. Just a nod. Nothing more. No words. No reassurance. The silence stung worse than any
