After I got to the house, I waited for Tobias for a while, wandering through the rooms as if seeing them for the first time again. Everything felt suspended in time—too familiar, too careful. I traced my fingers along the edge of the dresser, the headboard, the window frame, wondering how long he had been holding on to all of this.
Eventually, the quiet pulled me under.
I lay on the bed just to rest my legs, telling myself I would only close my eyes for a minute. The sheets were cool, the room dim, the silence heavy in a way that felt almost safe. Before I knew it, sleep took me.
I shifted, stretching—and froze.
Arms were wrapped around me.
My eyes flew open, panic flaring sharp and immediate, my breath catching in my throat. I turned slightly, my body tensing—then I saw him.
Tobias.
