ALBERT POV
I woke up to warmth.
The kind of warmth I hadn’t felt in years. Not the heat of a blanket or the weight of a pillow, but her. Olivia.
For one perfect moment I stayed there with my eyes closed, greedy, selfish. Letting myself sink into the illusion that this was how life was supposed to be. Her soft body curled into mine, her scent calm and grounding, her breath stirring against my chest. A whole night of sleep with her in my arms—no nightmares, no thrashing, no crying out for help I couldn’t give. Just peace. Just us.
My arms tightened around what I thought was her, pulling her closer, and I inhaled deep.
Except—
It wasn’t her.
My eyes snapped open, and my world tilted sideways. There was a pillow tucked against me where she should’ve been. The fabric still held a trace o
