The morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains of the bedroom, painting soft streaks of warm, golden light across the hardwood floor. Outside, the early autumn breeze rustled gently through the trees, a quiet contrast to the loud, sprawling energy of the night before.
Ryker was the first to wake.
He didn't move right away. The deep, heavy fatigue that usually lingered in his muscles after weeks of relentless football practice felt surprisingly absent, replaced by an easy, grounded calm.
Beside him, Lila was fast asleep. Her head rested comfortably against the crook of his shoulder, her breaths coming in steady, peaceful rhythms. A few stray locks of brown hair were scattered across her face, rising and falling with each breath.
Ryker stared at the ceiling for a long moment, a slow
