The crackling of the fireplace filled the silence of the apartment, a sound that was almost hypnotic to me. The fire cast dancing shadows on the walls, as if the space were alive, breathing in rhythm with the flames. My eyes settled on her, on Eliza, who stood in the kitchen, wrapped in my blue cardigan. That garment, which had gone so often unnoticed by me, now seemed like a weapon of seduction. The soft fabric embraced her curves, revealing more than it concealed.
I couldn't help but smile seeing her so out of place and yet so perfectly fitted into my world. There was something about her, a mixture of innocence and daring, that had me captivated since the day our eyes first met. But tonight was different. There was something in the air, a palpable tension that we couldn't ignore.
"Eliza," I said from the kitchen entrance, my voice low but firm. "Come here."
