Julian's POV
The room felt empty the second Catherine stepped out. I lay there in the dark, my skin still cooling from the heat of her body, and I realized I absolutely hated the fact that she was leaving. I didn't want her to creep back to her room like a thief in the night. What I really wanted was for her to stay, to close her eyes right next to me and be the first thing I saw when the sun hit the windows. I wanted to wake up with her hair sprawled across my chest and her weight grounding me to the bed. It wasn't just that I was in love with her; it was deeper than that. I was obsessed. Every minute she wasn't in my line of sight felt like a minute wasted. I wanted to possess her time, her thoughts, and her space. But the reality of this house always came back to bite, so I watched the door she had just exited, feeling a sense of agitation that only her presence could soothe.
