Elena’s POV
“What’s on your mind?” he asked quietly. His voice pulled me out of my thoughts, but I didn’t answer. I wasn’t ready to give shape to what I was feeling.
I had been awake for a while, staring into the darkness. My thoughts wouldn’t settle. Eric lay behind me, too close. His arm rested around my waist, his breath warm against my neck, as if he was afraid I might disappear if he let go.
When I shifted, trying to turn away, his hold tightened.
“Tell me,” he said. It wasn’t a request.
I swallowed. “I was thinking about how I’ve gone against everything I believed in,” I said softly. “Everything I held sacred.”
There was a brief silence. Then he laughed under his breath before flipping me around to face him. “That virginity rule of yours was nonsense from the begi
