The morning sun crept through the thick curtains, casting soft golden stripes across the room, warming the plush bedding around me. The penthouse felt different today, emptier, quieter without Arec here.
I never would've expected to feel this way, this strange sense of something missing, as if the silence itself were unsettled, waiting for him to walk through the door with that familiar half-smile. But it remained still, and I was alone.
I pulled the comforter up to my chin, resisting the urge to get out of bed. There was too much on my mind already, too many emotions left simmering from yesterday, starting with that kiss.
