CARMEN
I froze.
Not out of fear. Not entirely, anyway. It was more complicated than that—my feelings tangled between shock and something else I couldn’t immediately name.
It was the realization that hit first—the impossible, undeniable shift behind me. The warmth I had fallen asleep against, the thick fur, and the steady rumble of Mr. Bear were gone.
Replaced by Tim.
My breath caught in my throat, but I didn’t move. I didn’t dare. My body stayed tucked against him, just like before, only now I could feel the difference, and it made my heart race.
The heat of his bare skin.
The solid, unmistakable form of a man.
My mind should have been spiralling: I expected panic, fear, or confusion to take over—those reactions would have made sense, given the situation.
Instead, there was a stra
