Ariana woke up before the sun fully came in.For a moment, she didn’t open her eyes. She just stayed there, aware of the warmth beside her, the steady rhythm of Mateo’s breathing, the way his arm rested loosely around her like it had always belonged there.It felt… calm.Not the kind of calm that came from things being easy.The kind that came after something hard had already been faced.She shifted slightly, turning toward him, her hand resting lightly against his chest.He stirred under her touch, eyes opening slowly.“You’re awake,” he murmured.Ariana smiled faintly.“Yeah.”He looked at her for a second, like he was taking in the fact that she was still there, that nothing had changed overnight.“How do you feel?” he asked.She exhaled softly.“Lighter,” she admitted.A pause.“But not… finished.”Mateo nodded slightly.“That makes sense.”Ariana traced small, absent patterns against his shirt.“She didn’t forgive me,” she said.“I didn’t expect her to.”“I know,” Ariana replied.
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