The first light seeped softly through the curtains, brushing against Elena's skin.
She stirred, tangled in blankets and Nathan's warmth, but sleep had been a stranger ..midnight prayers and racing thoughts had kept her restless, even in his arms.
He was awake before her, lying there with the calm she had come to recognize .. that unreadable mask he wore so effortlessly. She watched him quietly, tracing the rise and fall of his chest, listening to the hum of the fan, the faint sounds of morning outside.
It felt safe. But heavy.
"Babe," he murmured, voice low, almost teasing, almost tender … and her heart twinged.
He was good at pretending. Maybe too good.
She shifted slightly, pulling herself closer before hesitating. "I… I need to head back home," she whispered, her voice fragile. "My mom… my kid sister…"
His gaze softened, disappointment flickering briefly before he masked it again. "Already?" he asked, half sighing, half smiling.
"Yes," she said gently. "I need to take care of something. Remember… we're not at school now."
He nodded slowly, eyes drifting away. The silence stretched, calm but thick with the weight of unspoken things.
"Okay," he finally said. "Let me drop you."
She nodded, quietly slipping out of the bed. The air was cold now …not from the weather, but from the reality creeping in.
Minutes later, she dropped his second phone on the table, and they left.
The car hummed softly beneath them, the city half-awake around them. Neither spoke; no hands intertwined this time ..only the quiet rhythm of tires on damp asphalt.
Somewhere along the way, he connected his phone to the car's speaker, and a new song poured out .. raw, emotional, unfinished. His voice filled the car, smooth but aching. Elena turned slightly, listening.
"Have you dropped this?" she asked, curiosity slicing through the silence.
"No," he said, smiling faintly, eyes still on the road.
"This is lit," she said, meaning it. The melody wrapped around her like warmth.
"I knew you'd love it," he replied, his smile soft, almost shy.
For a moment, they were back in their old rhythm … music, laughter, peace.
But it faded too quickly.
Her destination came sooner than she wished.
As she reached for the door, he caught her wrist gently, drawing her back. Then, without a word, he pressed his forehead against hers a kiss that lingered, heavy with everything they didn't say.
"Call me once you settle down," he whispered.
"Alright… bet," she murmured, her heart caught somewhere between longing and restraint.
He drove off.
And then, the emptiness hit.
She called. Once. Twice. Again.
The ringing went unanswered. The texts stayed unread. Her chest grew heavy with the silence that followed.
Somewhere deep down, she knew .. he only wanted the memory of her.
The warmth. The body. The familiarity.
Still, she refused to crumble. She sent one message … a quiet thank-you for the money he had sent her.
No reply.
Days blurred into weeks. The ache lingered, but she learned to move through it ..steady, wounded, yet still walking.
Because that's what she'd always done.
Keep moving. Even when it hurt.