Chapter 19

• EVELYN
• The night felt as though it stretched infinitely, each second dragging me further into the hollow ache inside my chest. My room, usually a safe haven, had turned into a prison, and the silence wrapped around me like rusted chains. I hadn’t been myself for what felt like forever. My whole body craved his built body, his cock pressing on my stomach, his presence, his warmth, and the familiar comfort of his arms around me as we drifted into sleep. Without him, my bed was a cold, barren space, and the night seemed like a curse from above. Sleep wouldn’t come, not even for a quick moment, and every toss and turn reminded me of his absence.
• In desperation, I reached for the round-neck T-shirt he had casually left behind last week. It was draped over the chair like a loitering whisper of him. Bringing it to my face, I inhaled deeply, letting the faint scent of his citrusy sandalwood cologne wash over me. The fragrance was faint now, diluted by time and distance, but it was enough to make my heart clench. Tears brimmed in my eyes, distorting everything around me. My chest tightened painfully as the realization hit me again, everything I had of him was now just a distant memory, fragile and fleeting, like sand slipping through my fingers.