Are you sure you’re okay?

The sunlight filtering through the curtains nudged me awake, soft and insistent. I blinked a few times, disoriented by the brightness, before turning my head.

Layla was still nestled in the crook of my arm, her face half-buried in the pillow, strands of dark hair spilling across her cheek.

She looked peaceful beautiful, evenbut there was a tension in her brow that hadn't been there before.

It wasn't just in her expression now, though. It had been lingering for days, an undercurrent in her behavior that she thought I wouldn't notice.

But I did.

I always noticed.

As much as I wanted to let her sleep, I had to move. My arm was numb from her weight, and I was craving coffee. I shifted carefully, extracting myself from the tangle of sheets and Layla's warmth. She stirred slightly but didn't wake.