He handled my hair with an odd kind of care, the warm air brushing against my neck, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.
In the mirror, I watched him. His expression was focused, almost gentle… so different from the man I knew.
And it hurt… it hurt like something sharp being driven into my chest, over and over again.
I let out a snort, breaking the silence. “Your grandmother isn’t here. No one’s watching.” My eyes met his in the mirror, cold and guarded. “You don’t need to keep up the act.”
He didn’t argue, he didn’t even react.
“I’m your husband,” he said simply.
The words settled heavily in the air. Hearing them made my chest tighten in ways I didn’t want to examine.
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice softer now. It was still defiant, but laced with exhaustion.
He didn
