76

~Xander~

I tossed and turned restlessly throughout the entire night, unable to find any sleep. The moments shared with Aoife on this trip stirred up a whirlwind of emotions, keeping my eyes wide open. My heart lingered with her, while all I carried back from her home was an overwhelming sense of restlessness.

Anxiety gripped me as I shifted from one side of the bed to the other. It was as if we were both experiencing sleepless nights without each other’s presence. As the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, I glanced at the time. It was 6 am. Without hesitation, I reached for my phone and composed a message to Aoife.

“I truly hope you’re all right. Please take good care of yourself.”

With those few words, I longed to pour out the depths of my emotions for her, yet a flicker of fear held me back. Though I yearned to call her, an inexplicable force kept me from doing so.

The burden of maintaining the facade of a good guy had begun to take its toll on me. I had never consid