The morning after the kiss, Aria woke to a stillness that wasn’t peaceful—it was loaded. Heavy with everything unspoken. She reached for her robe and padded to the window, her bare feet quiet against the cold wooden floor of the mountain lodge.
Fresh snow had fallen overnight, painting the trees in powder and softening the edges of the world.
But inside her chest, everything felt sharp.
She hadn’t seen Damian since the kiss. He hadn’t knocked again. No message. No sign of regret—but no sign of anything else, either.
Was it hesitation?
Was it fear?
Was it just... him?
She didn’t know, and that uncertainty burrowed under her skin like a splinter.
The knock came just as she was pouring coffee.
Firm. Controlled.
Damian.
She took a breath, then opened the door.
He stood there, crisp and calm in his dark coat, his eyes unreadable.
“We’re leaving,” he said.
Her brows lifted. “Now?”
“The retreat’s over. I’ve said what needed to be said.”