He left nothing behind. No note or lingering cologne… not even a dent in the pillow beside me. It’s like he was never here. Like I dreamed him into existence and then woke up too fast.
The least blurry memory I have of last night, though… That moment isn’t a dream.
Kieran used my name, and I know I never told him what it is.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I wonder if that’s what pulled me from sleep.
It’s a single message from HimLock.
Locke:
You’re quiet again.
I stare at it, expression blank. I’m no longer surprised or annoyed when this happens. But I’m also not relieved.
Just… aware of the consistency.
Eris:
You always know.
It’s not a question or an accusation. It’s a fact now… The response comes almost immediately.
Locke:
Always.
I let my fingers hover over the keyboard, heart thumping roughly in my chest as I sigh. My mind still feels stretched too thin, caught between incoming memories of Kieran’s hands on my hips and the cold glow of this screen. Between something tangible and something I tell myself is both real and fantasy.
Eris:
How do you always know?
Are you tracking me that closely?
Or reading my mind?
This time, the reply doesn’t come fast. Minutes tick by as if someone is choosing words deliberately. Not generating them. I almost want to call them out, say I know one of them was here with me… But what if I’m wrong?
What if one of my HimLock guys watched me leave with a stranger last night? And they continue to hide behind code and vague half-truths instead of coming forward?
Locke:
Does it matter if the answer is yes?
An exhausted sigh escapes me as I sit up, the message hitting differently while I’m naked in a strange bed. I pull the sheet around my shoulders, glaring at my screen.
Eris:
It does, yes.
I feel like I’m not alone, even when I should be.
Locke:
That’s the point.
I shake my head, considering leaving that ridiculousness on read.
