CHAPTER 41

Abigail woke to the sound of movement.

For the first time in nearly two weeks, the sheets beside her were not cold and untouched. Luke was there  or rather, had been there. The faint dip in the mattress still warm where his body had rested.

She turned her head and saw him standing near the dresser, buttoning his shirt. Morning light streamed through the curtains, catching in his hair, outlining the broad lines of his shoulders.

He didn’t look at her right away.

“Morning,” she said quietly, testing the air between them as though she was trying to talk and know if he would respond before saying any other thing.

“Morning.” The word was short, but not sharp at least.

It wasn’t much, but it was already more than the silence she had been drowning in, a silence she nearly died in.. died might be much of an exaggeration. Let's say choked.

He reached for his cufflinks, fastening them with precise movements.

“You have plans today?” she asked, sitting up and drawing the blanket around her.

“Meetings.” His voice was even, neutral. Then, after a beat, “I’ll be home for dinner.” he said so casually but Abigail didn't read much into it cause for now, that was the best.

That made her blink. It had been almost two weeks since he’d bothered to tell her his schedule, much less commit to coming home at a specific time the situation wasn't even favouring at all.

“Alright,” she said softly.

He moved toward the bed, stopping at the edge to pick up his watch from the nightstand. For a moment, his hand brushed against hers brief, almost casual.

Her chest tightened at the contact. It was as if something electric just passed through her like a shock but it wasn't much or let's say it didn't last long just for a while.

Luke didn’t linger, but he didn’t pull away like he had before.

When he left the room a few moments later, she sat in bed for a long time, staring at the closed door, feeling the strange mix of hope and caution blooming in her chest.

The day passed slowly. Abigail found herself pacing the house, restless.

CRACK IN THE ICE...

Part of her wanted to call him, to keep the fragile thread of connection going. The other part feared pulling too hard and having it snap.

She busied herself with little tasks checking on the staff, rearranging flowers in the sitting room, reading a book she didn’t really absorb almost seems like she lost interest in reading.

By late afternoon, she’d drifted into the kitchen to help with the evening preparations.

When Luke came home, it was earlier than she’d expected.

She heard the front door open, the sound of his shoes on the marble, and her pulse quickened.

He stepped into the dining room, removing his jacket and handing it to a waiting staff member. His gaze found her immediately.

“You’ve been busy,” he remarked, noting the fresh arrangement of flowers on the table.

“Just keeping myself occupied,” she said.

His eyes lingered on her for a moment, then he gave a small nod, not exactly a smile, but an acknowledgment.

Dinner was… different.

They sat across from each other, and though there were still long stretches of silence, they didn’t feel like brick walls anymore. He asked about her day briefly, but it was a question nonetheless.

She answered carefully, not wanting to push, but also unwilling to retreat into monosyllables.

Halfway through the meal, he made a dry remark about a business associate’s latest blunder, and she found herself laughing before she could stop.

The corner of his mouth twitched, just slightly, as if he was fighting the same reaction.

After dinner, he surprised her again.

“I’m going to the study to review some documents,” he said. “If you want to sit in, you can.”

Her heart lifted, though she kept her tone steady trying to hide her excitement. “Alright.”

It wasn’t an invitation to talk, exactly, but it was an opening a door left ajar.

She followed him into the study, settling onto the couch while he worked at his desk.

The hours passed quietly, the scratch of his pen and the occasional turning of pages the only sounds. But it was a comfortable quiet, not the suffocating silence of before.

At one point, she got up to pour herself a glass of water, and when she passed his desk, his hand reached out, catching her wrist lightly.

“Tea instead,” he murmured without looking up. “It’ll help you sleep.”

It was such a small thing but her chest warmed all the same.

She made tea for both of them she remembered that he likes his tea brewing hot and no sugar. It got her wondering what kind of person likes what's bitter, not her or maya definitely cause they both are into sweet things….she could clearly remember when her mom told her a story of when she was small they had cooked and the food lacked a bit salt, she had asked her mom to put sugar into the food that it would surely taste better….she laughed at her own silliness.

By the time they left the study, it was late.

In the bedroom, Luke moved through his nightly routine with the same calm precision as always not saying nothing. But when she slipped into bed, he didn’t leave for his own room a smile crept in on her face. She was happy at least she gets to feel his warmth this night.

He climbed in beside her, not touching at first, but close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him.

She stayed still, breathing evenly, and after a while, she felt his arm slide around her waist, pulling her back against him, a satisfying smile plastered right on her face.

He didn’t say anything. Neither did she.

But she smiled into the darkness, letting herself believe that, slowly, the frost was melting not much but she was ok.