Chapter 12: "Unexpected Messages"

The morning light crept through the sheer curtains, soft and golden, kissing the edges of the room with warmth. My eyes fluttered open slowly, the dull ache in my head reminding me of the wine from last night. For a moment, I forgot where I was.

And then I felt it.

The weight beside me. The steady sound of breathing. The gentle warmth that wasn’t mine.

I turned my head — slowly, carefully — and there he was.

Cullen.

Sleeping.

Peaceful. Unarmored. Human.

My chest tightened at the sight. His brows weren’t furrowed like usual. There was no storm behind his eyes, no walls. Just a man — vulnerable, quiet, and close enough for me to hear the rhythm of his breath.

I don’t know how long I stared, afraid that even blinking might shatter the moment. He looked younger somehow, like the world hadn't touched him yet. Or maybe, for once, he let the world rest.

Last night came rushing back — the wine, the silence, my tears, his arms. I had asked him to stay. Half-asleep and trembling, I had clung to the only thing that felt steady.

And he had stayed.

I wanted to stay like that. Just a little longer.

But reality tugged at me.

Reluctantly, I peeled my gaze away and reached for my phone on the bedside table. The screen lit up.

6:47 AM.

My eyes widened.

“Oh God,” I whispered under my breath. Work.

It was my first day. The job I had searched weeks for. The one thing that could help me get back on my feet. I couldn’t be late — not today.

I sat up slowly, trying not to make a sound. My legs brushed the edge of the mattress, and I reached for my slippers. But before I could stand, I looked back.

Cullen hadn’t moved.

I watched him for another second. Part of me didn’t want to go. I didn’t know what this moment meant — him staying last night, the comfort I felt in his silence, or the way he hadn’t pulled away when I leaned on him.

I bit my lip, a strange ache blooming in my chest. I wanted to tell him I’d be gone for the day. That I’d be back. That I was thankful he stayed.

But I didn’t. I just stood, quietly, and tiptoed toward the door.

Before I left the room, I glanced over my shoulder one last time.

Thank you, I whispered in my mind.

Then I walked away — not from him, but toward the day I had to face. One step at a time.

CULLEN’S POV

The pale light of winter crept through the curtains, soft and cold against the warmth of the sheets. I stirred slowly, a dull heaviness sitting in my chest. My eyes blinked open, the ceiling above unfamiliar in the dim gray morning.

Then it hit me—Paige.

I turned my head, instinctively reaching for her beside me.

But there was nothing.

Just an empty space.

Still warm.

My hand lingered on the sheets where her body had been, and I could still faintly smell her — soft and bittersweet, like lavender and something I couldn’t name.

Gone.

I sat up slowly, the quiet of the house louder than anything. No wind. No birds. Just the eerie stillness that only winter mornings could bring. I glanced at the bedside clock. 7:18 a.m.

She had to go to work.

Of course she did.

Still, something about waking up alone—after finally feeling human again for just one night—hit harder than I expected. It wasn’t just the absence of her warmth. It was the absence of her presence. The way the silence swallowed everything she left behind.

I ran a hand down my face and sat there for a while, unmoving.

Maybe I should’ve woken up earlier. Asked her what she needed. Told her to take it easy. Offered her a ride. Anything.

But I didn’t.

Because I was scared. Because I didn’t know what I was allowed to feel. Or what she expected me to be.

I pushed off the blanket and stood, bare feet meeting the cold floor like a quiet punishment. I walked to the window and pulled the curtain aside.

The world outside was blanketed in white — still, frozen, and distant.

Just like the way she left.

No note. No message. Just gone.

I sighed and leaned my forehead against the glass, closing my eyes for a moment.

Why does it feel like she’s slipping away again… even when she’s just starting over?

PAIGE’S POV

  I moved like a flash, barely feeling the cold against my skin. Snow clung to the edges of the pavement, and my breath came out in quick, visible puffs. I had to get ready before Keres arrived. I didn’t even know how I pulled it off, but somehow, I did. Just as I reached the door, heart racing, I saw his car roll up, tires crunching softly against the frosty ground.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” he called from the rolled-down window, his voice warm against the biting chill.

I managed a shy smile, my cheeks flushed—not just from the cold, but from everything stirring inside me.

Keres stepped out, jacket buttoned up, and opened the car door for me like always.

“Let me guess... no breakfast again?” he teased gently.

I nodded, almost sheepishly.

But then it hit me like a slap of wind—Cullen. I left him. Just like that. No breakfast. No note. Nothing. My chest tightened with guilt. Was he still asleep? Had he woken up and realized I was gone? I should’ve cooked. I should’ve said something. But instead, I shoved the guilt down and forced myself to focus.

This is your job. Your first day. Focus, Paige. Be grateful.

“We’ll stop by a coffee shop,” Keres added, stepping back into the warmth of the car. “We’ve got time.”

The drive felt slow despite the gentle hum of the heater and the city blanketed in white. Everything outside looked peaceful—calm streets, frosted trees—but inside me, it was chaos. Still, I had to push through. The dream was finally real.

By midday, I was meeting the staff, walking on polished floors, camera flashes lighting up the studio like snowflakes frozen in time. You’re a model now, I reminded myself. This is everything you wanted.

Then my phone buzzed.

My pulse spiked.

A message from Cullen.

“I’m going on a business trip. You forgot the key. I’ll drop it off. Send me your work address.”

I stared at the message, suddenly cold all over again. How could I have forgotten? What was wrong with me?

I quickly sent the address, heart heavy with shame. You just walked out. No explanation. Of course he’d be cold.

Two hours later, another buzz.

“I’m here.”

My heels clicked against the studio floor as I rushed toward the entrance, the red linen dress I was modeling brushing against my legs. It was sleeveless—totally wrong for the weather, but perfect for the shoot.

Outside, the air slapped my skin. I crossed my arms to keep warm. Then I saw him.

Cullen.

He stood by his car, tall and still, surrounded by a winter haze. There was no emotion on his face, just unreadable eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” I blurted, breath fogging in the air.

He handed me the key wordlessly, his gaze lingering on me for a second too long—on the dress, maybe. Or maybe on the distance between us. I couldn't tell.

And then he turned.

No goodbye.

No smile.

Just the sound of the car door shutting and the engine pulling away.

The key felt heavy in my hand.

The cold suddenly felt sharper. And the excitement that had been dancing in my chest all morning? Gone—like warmth slipping out of the room.

I stood there for a moment longer, watching him disappear into the winter, my heart sinking into the snow-covered ground beneath me.

CULLEN’S POV

  I felt like I was unraveling.

Restless, I paced the living room floor again and again, the sound of my footsteps echoing against the walls like a ticking clock I couldn’t escape. The cold outside seemed to seep through the windows, even with the heater on—though maybe it wasn’t the temperature that made me shiver.

I tried to distract myself, flicking through emails I couldn’t comprehend, pretending I had work to do. But my mind refused to cooperate. It was with her. Where is she? Is she eating? Did she make it safely?

I clenched my jaw. I couldn’t ask. That would make me look desperate… right?

Still, the ache in my chest wouldn’t settle. My eyes darted to the kitchen. A cup of water, maybe. Something to settle the unease storming through me. But even the water tasted hollow.

Then I saw it—the key. She left it behind.

A spark. A reason. A lifeline.

Without thinking, I grabbed my phone and messaged her.

My fingers trembled as I hit send. Then came the wait.

Minutes dragged like hours, and the silence was deafening. The snow had begun to fall outside, soft and unhurried, dusting the world in white. But inside me, a blizzard.

Finally, the beep.

Her reply.

I didn’t waste a second. I threw on my winter coat, barely zipping it, and rushed to the car. The icy air bit at my skin, but I barely noticed. My heart was louder than the engine.

Then I saw her.

She stepped out through the glass doors of a building, her red linen dress stark against the whitewashed world. She looked like something out of a dream—a delicate flame in the cold.

I froze for a heartbeat.

God, she was beautiful.

Part of me wanted to run to her, to wrap her in warmth, to ask her how her first day was. To tell her I was proud. That I cared.

But I didn’t.

I clenched those thoughts like fists in my coat pockets. This wasn’t my place. I had no right.

She reached me, breathless and apologetic, and all I could do was nod. My throat felt tight. My chest heavier.

I handed her the key, keeping my distance, keeping my silence, and turned back to the car without looking back.

The snow crunched beneath my boots as I walked away from her.

Back behind the wheel, I gripped it tightly, jaw clenched. She was still in the rearview mirror.

I didn’t know what stung more—walking away from her… or the quiet truth that she was never really mine to begin with.

As I drove into the biting cold, the snow fell soft and slow—but inside me, it was a storm. I wasn’t just braving the winter outside. I was freezing from the inside out.

I had every intention of flying overseas—get away, breathe, disappear for a while. But there I was, standing at the terminal gate, fingers trembling over my phone as I typed out a message I never thought I would send.

"My flight was canceled. Maybe I can pick you up from work?"

I stared at it for a second too long… and hit send.

Too late now. The moment the message was out, a wave of panic crashed into me. What the hell are you doing, Cullen? This wasn’t the plan. You’re supposed to keep your distance. You're supposed to move on.

My pulse was racing like a drum in my chest, louder than the airport announcements echoing through the cold steel space. I was just about to regret it when her reply came through.

"Okay, will be done in an hour maybe."

A smile tugged at my lips—unexpected, uncontrollable. I couldn’t even remember the last time something made me feel this… light.

I let out a shaky breath, my body still tense from emotions I couldn’t name. I left the airport without thinking twice and drove through the frosted city roads. The snow blurred the world outside, but inside me, something had never felt clearer.

I pulled into a grocery store parking lot. Sat there for a while.

And then, without fully realizing it, I stepped out.

I want to cook for her.

What? Since when did I— 

I shook my head, chuckling softly under my breath. Damn it, Cullen.

You’re falling.