The rest of the evening passed under the heavy shroud of silence. Alex sat by the fire, reading the same page of his book for nearly an hour before finally snapping it shut. He remained there, staring into the embers, while
I continued to play cards with Sofia and Miguel, forcing myself to concentrate on the rules, my laughter sounding strained even to my own ears.
When Miguel and Sofia finally retired around midnight, Alex rose. He didn't look at me, but the tension in the room coiled tighter as we both realized we had to share the bedroom for one final night.
He walked past me and into the master suite without a word. I followed moments later, my movements slow and deliberate.
The light was low when I entered. Alex was already in bed, the heavy duvet pulled up to his waist. He was lying on his back, his arm still resting across his forehead.
