Chapter 4: Morning Light
460 Words
---
Elena woke to the sound of gulls and the smell of coffee.
For a moment, she didn’t know where she was. The sheets were warm, the bed wide. The sun filtered in through gauzy curtains, casting golden light over the room. And then she felt the weight of an arm draped across her waist.
Adrian.
The night came rushing back like a tide.
She turned slowly. He was still asleep, chest rising and falling in a rhythm that felt achingly familiar. His lashes rested against his cheek, his stubble rough against the pillow. He looked peaceful—and more vulnerable than she'd ever seen him.
She reached out and brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.
He stirred under her touch and blinked awake, his eyes meeting hers with a quiet intensity.
“Hey,” he said, voice gravelly.
“Hey.”
They lay there, inches apart, a thousand words unspoken.
“I wasn’t sure you’d still be here,” he murmured.
“I wasn’t sure either,” she admitted. “But I didn’t want to leave.”
Adrian rolled onto his back, one arm still around her. “It felt real.”
“It was,” she whispered.
They stayed in that silence, letting the morning stretch between them like a held breath. But the world, as it always does, eventually intruded.
Elena sat up, tugging the sheet to her chest. “I should get back to the guest room before your mom comes by.”
He chuckled. “She doesn’t usually drop in unannounced.”
She gave him a look. “Still.”
Adrian’s smile faded slightly. “Elena… what happens now?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know. I didn’t come here expecting this. Us.”
“But you wanted it.”
“I did,” she said. “I do.”
He sat up, brushing his fingers down her bare back. “Then let’s not run from it.”
She leaned into him, resting her forehead against his shoulder. “I’m scared. What if I hurt you again?”
He cupped her chin, tilting her face to his. “Then tell me what you're thinking this time. Don’t vanish.”
Her heart thudded in her chest.
“I won’t.”
He kissed her again, soft and slow, like he was sealing the promise between them.
But downstairs, her phone buzzed with a message. A reminder that life outside this room still existed.
She pulled away with a reluctant smile. “That’s probably my sister. Wedding chaos begins.”
Adrian groaned. “Right. Flower emergencies. Champagne crises. Hair drama.”
Elena laughed. “You remember everything.”
He tugged her back down for one last kiss. “I tried not to. Believe me.”
---
- Writer
