Chapter 76 – The Morning That Felt Different
The morning after the kiss felt like waking into another world.
A softer one.
The sunlight streamed lazily through the curtains, painting gold across the white walls, and for the first time in a very long time, I didn't wake up feeling like I was running from something. Instead, I woke up with the echo of his lips on mine a ghost of warmth that refused to leave.
I hadn't planned to fall asleep smiling.
But I did.
The night before had been quiet, charged with something I couldn't explain. Lucian's hand had brushed my neck as he fastened my necklace, his breath had ghosted against my skin, and the silence had thickened alive and trembling. Then his lips found mine, soft and slow, like a promise whispered before a storm.
And now, here I was, standing in the living room, wearing one of his oversized shirts I'd borrowed to sleep in, clutching a mug of coffee that had gone cold long ago.
My heart was still fluttering.
