Chapter 65

• FRANKIE
• I stretch languidly in our king-sized bed, my hand instinctively reaching for Rafael's warmth beside me. Instead, my fingers meet cold silk sheets. Unusual. The morning sunlight streams through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting patterns across our grey-colored walls, but the room feels emptier without his presence.
• Rising from the bed, I pad across the heated marble floors to our ensuite bathroom. Steam still clings to the mirrors, and his signature body wash lingers in the air - he's already showered and gone. My chest tightens with confusion. We always get ready together – it's our precious time, our intimate moments before the day pulls us in different directions.