I woke up thinking about his thumb moving against my jaw. Not even the kiss that hadn't happened. Not the almost. Just his thumb. That one small, deliberate movement before he stepped back and said goodnight like it cost him nothing.I lay in bed for five minutes, being annoyed about that, before I got up. Friday. The house was quiet in the particular way it was quiet when he hadn't come downstairs yet.I was dressed up already, fine, unbothered, and completely unaffected. I was affected. I'd been affected for months, and I was tired of the performance.I could hear footsteps on the stairs behind me, and it was getting closer. He'd been leaving his room at almost the same time as me for days now, like our clocks had synced in absolute perfection. My coffee was on the counter, and his laptop was already at the island, with some papers spread, and his jacket on the back of the stool. He'd been up earlier than me."Morning," he said, appearing behind me at the coffee maker."Morning. Yo
Last Updated : 2026-07-08 Read more