Preparation for the date
After Aeliana left, the room felt suddenly empty. The lingering warmth where we'd been cuddling still clung to the sheets, but now there was only me and the cold realization that I had to get on with the day.
"Ugh, work," I muttered, dragging myself out of bed. My muscles were sore from the night before emotional tension, maybe? Or the awkward angles from sleeping entangled like that. Either way, my body felt heavy as hell.
I groaned again, louder this time, hoping the universe might take pity on me. Spoiler: it didn't.
Stumbling into the bathroom, I turned on the shower, watching the steam rise as the hot water hit the tiles. I peeled off my clothes and stepped inside, letting the heat wash away the remnants of sleep and, with any luck, some of the confusion from my thoughts. Aeliana. Her smile.
The way she'd held me last night. The way she made me feel like maybe just maybe I wasn't such a screw-up.