With their faces just inches apart, Alex's mind was a swirling mix of emotions—the lingering heat from the kiss they had just shared, and the nagging sense that something was weighing heavily on Emily's mind. She had been different around him today, more open, almost vulnerable. Bringing him to this secret sanctuary, a place so deeply personal to her, felt like an invitation into a part of her heart she had kept closed off from him for so long. She hadn't shied away from his touch; instead, she had returned his kisses, holding him closer as if she didn't want to let go.
Her behaviour had been so unlike the Emily he was used to, and it set off quiet alarms in his mind. He could feel it—the unspoken tension beneath her calm exterior, the way her thoughts seemed to drift away even as they shared these intimate moments. Taking a deep breath, Alex steeled himself, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Are you going to see him tomorrow?"
