Morning came too quickly.
The sunlight filtered through Avery's curtains, painting thin gold lines across her face. She hadn't slept much not really. Her body had rested, but her heart? It was still on that rooftop.
She turned on her side, staring at the empty pillow beside her. It felt too big all of a sudden. Too cold.
Everything from the night before replayed in her head in fragments the city lights, his voice, the feel of his hand in hers, and that kiss. That kiss.
She touched her lips, half wondering if she'd dreamed it. Half hoping she had.
Because it was too much.
And yet not enough.
Her phone buzzed once. A message from Harrison.
Made it home okay. You?
She stared at it, thumbs hovering. Then typed
Yeah. Didn't sleep much.
A bubble appeared almost instantly.
Same.
Then another:
That kiss...
She waited. He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.
Yeah, she replied.
It was all she could say.
Across town, Harrison sat at the edge of his bed, still wearing the same jeans from last night. His jacket hung over the back of a chair, and her scent subtle, like lavender and something darker clung to it.
He couldn't stop thinking about her.
She was a contradiction in motion soft but guarded, sharp but aching. And for some reason, he wanted to learn every part of her. Even the parts she didn't want to show.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard again.
Did I mess things up?
He deleted it.
Then tried again.
I meant what I said. Last night wasn't just... a moment.
Sent.
He waited.
Seconds stretched. Then minutes.
Finally, a reply blinked onto the screen.
I don't know what last night was. But I felt it.
His chest eased, just a little.
Later that afternoon, Avery stood by her window watching people pass on the street. She wasn't sure what they were now her and Harrison. Friends? Something more? Something doomed?
But one thing was clear:
He wasn't just a chapter.
He was a turning point.
And some part of her the brave, hidden part wanted to keep reading.