It's better this way...

Annalise>>

Maybe I should have said something. The thought gnawed at me, a sharp, bitter regret that had taken root in my chest. Since the silence I gave Atlas, things had changed.

The heat between us had cooled, replaced with a cold, polite distance that was suffocating. He hadn't looked at me the same way, hadn't teased me with those sharp smirks that set my pulse racing.

I wanted that heat back.

I couldn't stop myself from stealing glances at him through the small carriage window. He rode alongside us, tall and commanding, the dark leather of his gloves gripping the reins tightly.

His expression was impassive, unreadable, but every now and then the wind would tousle his hair, and the sight made something stir deep inside me. I clenched my fists, frustrated with how much I wanted him.