Mia froze.
Did Zac really mean that? Or was he just sleep-talking?
For a moment, she let herself believe it was harmless—just a brief moment of comfort. Nothing more.
“Okay,” she whispered, allowing herself to sink deeper into his embrace instead of pulling away.
And the night passed in silence.
********
The next time Mia opened her eyes, the room was brighter. Not from sunlight—just the soft glow of morning creeping through the curtains.
She inhaled sharply, and turned—but Zac wasn’t there.
Alone in bed, she sighed, pushing her hair back. She reached for her phone on the nightstand—it was only 6:12 a.m.
The sky was still a dull gray, the sun yet to rise.
Groggy, she mumbled, “Jeez…” and pushed the duvet off. She was still in the same clothes from the night before.
She was abou
