The sun was a hazy shimmer behind the curtains of Luca's hotel suite, casting a subdued light on the room. Alexander watched the city of Paris waking up, his reflection faint in the glass, eyes set with a quiet weight. He could still hear Luca's whispered confession echoing in his mind.
I don't want to lose you. I love you.
The words had been startlingly honest, and yet the price of those words—the violence of yesterday's night—clung to Alexander.
Luca emerged from the bathroom, his shirt unbuttoned, his hair damp, an uncharacteristically vulnerable look in his gaze. He moved close to Alexander, slipping his hand along the small of his back. Their eyes met in the reflection, and in the quiet, Luca spoke, his voice low, "You look different today."
Alexander's expression flickered, a bri
