Bella woke slowly, her lashes fluttering as her eyes adjusted to the dim room. For a moment, she lay still, staring at the ceiling, trying to understand why everything felt so quiet. Then she turned her head and realized the space beside her was empty.
"Leo…" she whispered softly, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
She waited, listening to the silence, and a tiny frown formed on her face. The bed felt cold without him. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and lay there for a moment, staring ahead with a blank expression, as if trying to gather her thoughts. A long, tired sigh escaped her lips.
She was about to sit up and call his name again when she heard it—the soft sound of footsteps approaching the bed.
Panicking for no reason, she quickly closed her eyes and pretended to still be asleep.
A second later, she felt the mattress dip beside her. Leo leaned over her, his presence warm and comforting, and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
