Chapter 74

• Emily and Alex sat together on the couch, Emily’s head resting on Alex’s lap while he gently stroked her hair. The room was filled with a tense silence, broken only by the occasional rustling of the curtains as a breeze drifted through the open window.
• "I... I want to discuss something with you." Alex chimed in.
• Emily, sensing the seriousness in his tone, shifted slightly to look up at him. She had noticed that Alex had been acting differently since that morning, more distant and contemplative.