Across the city, a profound quiet took hold. It wasn't the heavy, forced silence of an empty room, but a slow and thoughtful kind—the way light slips gently across white walls and settles on the edge of a bed, afraid to disturb the sleeper.
Leo lay still for a long moment after waking. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, but his mind was elsewhere—caught in the lingering warmth of the previous night. He could still hear the softness in Amelia’s voice and feel the way her breath had faltered just before his lips touched hers.
He exhaled slowly, his chest feeling full and dangerously alive.
This house was new—too quiet, too clean, still missing the memories that make a place feel like a home. Ivy had insisted he move in for a "fresh start," but lying there alone, Leo didn't feel new. He f
