Claire stood there, staring at the empty space where Lucas had been only moments ago. The lingering heat of his touch still buzzed across her skin, and her mind scrambled to make sense of everything. The coffee cup on the nightstand, now cold, was a reminder of the world she was still caught in—a world where nothing was ever as simple as it seemed.
Her phone buzzed again, but this time, it was a message from Ethan.
I’m outside.
Her stomach twisted, a sharp pang of guilt washing over her. Ethan was here. Coming to face her. The weight of what she’d done, what she’d allowed herself to do, pressed down on her like an iron fist.
She glanced at the door, and the sounds of the city outside felt like they were closing in on her. Ethan would want answers. He deserved them. But how could she ex
