The sudden ring of Stella’s phone shattered the stillness in the room, cutting through the lingering tension.
Both of them froze. Lucas exhaled sharply and stood up, heading straight for the bathroom without a word.
Stella lay there, chest rising and falling, trying to catch her breath. The heat swirling through her body refused to settle—if anything, it only grew worse. It’s fine. It’ll pass, she thought, brushing her damp hair back.
She grabbed her phone and saw Clara’s name flashing on the screen.
Stella glanced at the time—late. Clara must be wondering why she wasn’t home yet.
“Hey,” Stella answered.
“Stella, where are you? Still at the office? Want me to come get you?”
“I forgot to tell you—I’m not at the office. Something unexpected came up, so I won’t be back tonight.”
“Unex
