Ellie POV
The next morning came gray and cold.
The air carried the chill of autumn and left me feeling bleak. The boys were still asleep, bundled in their cribs, and the quiet felt heavier than usual.
I stood by the window with a mug of tea cooling in my hands, replaying the night before over and over in my head.
Kieran’s kiss had been gentle. Thoughtful. The kind of kiss that should have made my heart flutter. But it hadn’t. It had felt… hollow.
Like it was a performance that I couldn’t bring myself to fully participate in.
I’d lain awake afterward, staring at the ceiling, trying to convince myself it meant nothing, that the lack of spark didn’t matter. But the truth wouldn’t be buried. It pressed against my ribs with every inhale.
When I thought of Nolan, my pulse still jumped. E
