TESSA.
I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in steam and warmth, my skin still damp, my thoughts still tangled in last night and this morning and everything in between.
Jaxson stood by the window.
Sunlight spilled over him, catching on his shoulders, outlining the hard line of his back, the easy way he leaned like he belonged there. He looked unfairly good.
And for a moment, the only thing I could think of was how impossible it felt that I had survived months without seeing his face every day. How empty that version of my life suddenly seemed. How wrong it felt now that I knew what right looked like again.
He turned when he sensed me.
Our eyes met, and his mouth curved into that smile, the one that always made my chest feel too small for my heart.
I crossed the room in a few quick
