Audrey's pov
When I woke up, the first thing I felt was the warmth of another person wrapped around me. A strong arm rested across my waist, heavy and possessive in a way that felt strangely peaceful instead of suffocating.
For a few seconds, I didn’t open my eyes. I just breathed.
The air smelled faintly like dust from the old gallery, like painting supplies, and like him.
Matteo.
The memory of everything that had happened earlier rushed back in a quiet wave—his confession, the painting, the way my heart had twisted when he told me it had taken over a year to finish.
My chest tightened.
I opened my eyes.
Matteo was still asleep, his face pressed into the crook of my neck, his arm draped over my waist like a heavy iron bar. His chest rose slowly behind me. For a moment, I didn’t mo
