The cool tiles of the bathroom provided a stark contrast to the stifling heat of the room they had just shared. Adrian leaned against the closed door, his chest heaving as he fought to regulate his breathing.
He turned on the faucet, splashing cold water onto his face. He stared at his reflection in the mirror—his lips were red, his eyes hazy with a desire he couldn't fully extinguish.
"Choosing yourself," he whispered to the glass. "Peace of mind."
He knew the statistics of high-stress relationships; according to various psychological studies, people in "on-again, off-again" dynamics report higher rates of clinical anxiety and depression—sometimes as much as 25% higher than those in stable partnerships. He couldn't be a statistic. He couldn't let his body's betrayal lead him back into a labyrinth of secrets.
