Ariana’s POV
I woke up before the sun had fully risen, but I didn’t move right away.
For a few quiet seconds, I just lay there, wrapped in the softness of the bed, staring at the ceiling like I had nowhere else to be. The sheets still felt too smooth against my skin, the kind of comfort I hadn’t allowed myself to get used to in a long time. Out there, sleep had always been something you took when you could, not something you sank into.
Here, it tried to hold you.
It was strange how quickly my body was remembering what this felt like, even when my mind hadn’t caught up yet.
I shifted slightly, pulling one arm under my head, and let out a slow breath. The room was quiet in a way that felt almost unnatural. No distant footsteps outside a door I didn’t trust. No tension sitting at the bac
