As evening set in, Dahlia woke, feeling a wave of energy and an unexplainable happiness. She stretched, only to find the other side of the bed empty. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Sullivan, lounging on the chaise with his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought.
"Are you asleep?" Dahlia's soft voice broke the silence.
Sullivan's eyes fluttered open, meeting hers with a gentle gaze. "No. I was just… thinking."
"Thinking about what?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"How to love you," he replied, his voice calm but his words unexpectedly intimate.
Dahlia blinked, a surprised laugh escaping her lips as she absorbed his answer. "What? What did you just say?" Her face lit with both shock and disbelief, her expression both a blend of amusement and wonder.
"You heard me," Sullivan replied, his gaze steady and sincere.
