Without another word, Mia turned and left the room.
Alexander stayed seated on the edge of the bed, his hands resting on his thighs, staring at the doorway she had just walked through. The room felt suddenly larger. Colder.
He waited.
Minutes passed.
Then soft footsteps returned.
He rose to his feet just as Mia came back in, now dressed in a simple pajama top and bottoms. She held a folded blanket in her arms. Without looking at him, she crouched down and spread it neatly on the floor. She took the pillow from his hands and placed it on top.
“You can sleep here,” she said.
She walked to the bedside lamp and switched it off, plunging the room into dimness, then climbed onto the bed without another word, turning her back to him.
Alexander exhaled slowly, the breath heavy in his chest.
He lay down on the floor quietly, hands folded behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. The faint scent of her clung to the pillow beneath him.
After a while, he rolled onto his side, staring at her back. He slid an arm under the pillow and pulled it closer, burying his face into it as his eyes finally closed.
For the first time in weeks, real sleep claimed him.
The next morning, light filtered gently through the curtains, brushing across Mia’s face.
Even though the room was cool, she felt an unfamiliar warmth around her waist.
Her body stiffened instantly.
Slowly, cautiously, she opened her eyes.
An arm was wrapped firmly around her.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She shifted just enough to look—and froze.
Alexander was behind her, fast asleep, his arm tucked beneath her head, his hand resting securely at her waist. Her back was pressed against his chest, their bodies aligned.
Her heart slammed violently against her ribs.
She tried to pull away.
“Mr. Graves—”
His eyes opened immediately, alert despite the lingering haze of sleep. He looked down at her, voice low and rough.
“You pulled me up from the ground to sleep with you on the bed last night,” he murmured, the words brushing against the quiet. “Don’t you remember?”
“When did I ask you to get into the bed?” Mia stared at him, stunned. “How…?”
Still half-asleep, he shifted closer. “I’ll show you.”
Before she could respond, Alexander reached out, caught her hands, and pushed them up against the pillow. In the next second, he leaned over her, his body hovering above hers.
Before she could protest, his face dipped down—
—and he kissed her.
