Morning crept into the hotel room like a thief, soft, cold, and unwelcome. The golden glow of the night before was gone, replaced by the harsh clarity of daylight. Adam woke first. The sheets beside him were already empty.
For a moment, he thought it had all been a dream. Then he saw Emily’s scarf folded neatly on the chair, and the faint trace of her perfume in the air reminded him that it wasn’t.
His chest tightened. He sat up, running a hand through his hair, every sound in the room deafening, the hum of the air conditioner, the tick of the clock, his own heartbeat.
Then the door opened. Emily stood there, her hair tied back, her expression calm but her eyes red from sleeplessness.
“I ordered coffee,” she said quietly, setting
