I wake up before him.
At first I don’t move. I just lie there, staring at the ceiling, trying to understand where I am without panicking. The light is different. Softer. Grey in a quiet way.
Then I feel his arm around my waist.
And everything comes back at once.
London. Him. Last night.
I swallow.
Careful. Don’t overthink. Not yet.
His arm isn’t tight. He isn’t holding me like I’ll disappear. It’s just resting there. Warm. Familiar in a way that feels dangerous.
I turn my head a little.
Ethan is still asleep.
He looks… younger like this. Or maybe just less guarded. His face isn’t doing that controlled thing it always used to do. No tension in his jaw. No thinking ahead.
Just… him.
My chest tightens.
I don’t know what to do with that version of him.
Or with the fact that I sta
