That night I couldn't sleep, sleep never came.
Kingsley lay on his back, staring into the dark, counting the seconds between breaths like it might anchor him. The bed felt wrong—too wide, too quiet. Hailey hadn't turned toward him once before retreating to her room. The distance she'd put between them wasn't measured in steps or doors. It was something sharper and intentional. He knows she feels hurt because he's hiding something from her just like her people are.
He didn't blame her and it was not her fault either and that was the worst part.
He replayed the night over and over in his head, searching for the exact moment where he'd chosen control over honesty. It had been instinctive, reflex. The same instinct that had kept him alive in boardrooms and war zones alike. Anticipat
