I swallowed hard, unsure how to answer. My body felt both exhausted and strangely alive, every nerve still humming from the intensity of what we’d shared. But my mind… my mind was a storm. “A little of both, maybe,” I whispered. “I just… I didn’t expect it to feel like this.”
His fingers paused in my hair for a moment before resuming their slow strokes. “Tell me what you’re feeling, Rina. No need to hide it here.”
I closed my eyes, pressing my cheek more firmly against his chest. The truth tumbled out in fragments. “Relieved. Scared. A little ashamed. And… grateful. Ten million dollars. My mom’s treatment can start right away. The loans… everything. But I keep thinking about Monday. About walking into the office like nothing happened. About handing you your coffee and knowing you’ve seen
