Justin's POV
Rated18+
The world came back to me in shades of gold and quiet.
The first thing I was aware of was the weight of her head on my chest, the soft puff of her breath against my skin, a rhythm as familiar and vital as my own heartbeat. The second thing was the profound, echoing silence within the fortress of my own mind. The storm, that relentless, churning tempest of guilt, fear, and self-loathing that had taken up residence in me since the moment I'd walked out of that church, was gone. Not subdued, not quieted for a moment, but gone. In its place was a vast, tranquil sea of certainty.
Elena was still asleep, her body a warm, against mine. In the soft light filtering through the gaps in the blackout curtains, I could see the sweep of her dark lashes against her cheeks, the parted fullness of her lips. She was peace incarnate. She was my absolution.
