25. Zander
The first thing I heard was a soft groan then the rustling of sheets.
I looked up from the mug of coffee in my hands just as Mara stretched beneath the blanket, her arms reaching above her head before she rolled onto her side. Her eyes fluttered open and for a moment, she simply blinked at me. Then the corners of her lips lifted.
"Good morning."
There it was again. That smile. The one that made the weight on my shoulders feel just a little lighter.
"Morning," I replied.
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before sitting up, clutching the blanket against her chest.
"What time is it?"
"Almost twelve."
Her eyes widened, "I slept that long?"
"You needed it."
She looked at me for a long moment, almost as if she expected me to regret everything that had happened between us
