Aubrey's warmth wrapped around me as we lay in bed. Her arm draped over my chest, her leg hooked around mine like she was afraid I'd disappear if she let go.
I could feel her breath against my neck, soft and steady, a fragile tether to a life that somehow still felt normal.
I stared at the ceiling.
Her fingers traced slow, deliberate lines over my chest. Two fingers walking, step by step, like tiny legs exploring a foreign landscape. She tilted her head up at me, eyes searching.
"Crazy day, huh?" she whispered.
"Yeah," I said, not looking at her.
She felt it—the distance in me.
She pushed herself up slightly, studying my face. "Something on your mind?"
"Yeah… a whole lot." I closed my eyes, letting the weight settle on my chest.
Her fingers froze, hovering over me.
"Hey," she said softer. "You did everything you could with that girl."
I finally looked at her.
"If you tried any further with Lila… if you didn't pull away… who knows what would've happened. To you. To us."
