Chapter 10 AFTERGLOW AND GUILT

The morning sun had it's way through the curtains, painting the room in soft gold.

Elijah stirred first.

He felt pain in his neck because he had slept on the wrong side of the couch; still, he remained calm so he wouldn't wake her up. She faced him as she curled herself beside him; a few strands of hair had fallen across her cheek. Her breathing was slow, steady, and warm.

There had been no kisses,

No tangled sheets,

No regrets,

But still, everything had changed;

She'd stayed,

Not because she was intoxicated, not because of obligation or drama or pressure.

She stayed because she wanted to.

And that, Elijah realized, might be even more dangerous.

---

Sofia stirred minutes later, stretching slightly before blinking into the morning.

He quietly watched her for a moment,

"Hey," she softly whispered, her voice cracked by sleep.

"Good morning," he said.

She slowly sat, rubbing her eyes. "I must look a mess."

"You look real."

She smiled.

"I can't remember the last time I had this feeling ", she murmured.

---

They had coffee in the kitchen; as the entire place was filled with silence, just the hum of the fridge, the soft clink of mugs, and two quiet people letting the world find it's way back to them.

Elijah while folding his arms, leaned against the counter, "You okay?"

Sofia nodded. "Too okay, and that scares me."

He understood.

Sometimes, it wasn't the chaos that broke you,

It was the peace, because it reminded you what you'd been missing all along.

---

Around 9:00 a.m., Sofia's phone which was on the counter rang,

It was Mark.

Elijah saw the name flash before she picked it up. She stared at it for a few seconds before dropping it on the table.

"I told him I was be visiting a friend," she said quietly.

Elijah said nothing.

"I didn't lie," she added, more to herself than to him.

"No," he replied. "You didn't."

But they both knew what was unspoken. The line was now blurred, not by a kiss, but by presence, by intimacy, by quietness shared in a way her husband hadn't shared with her in years.

Part of her was far away,

But she felt closer to herself being with him.

---

An hour later, she stood by the door, holding her bag.

"I should go," she said, sounding unsure.

He nodded, while getting close to her. "I know."

Their eyes locked,

Still no kiss,

Still no touch,

But they had begun to think about it, more than ever.

"Elijah," she whispered, "do you think we're self-centred?"

"Yes," he admitted. "But I also think we have feelings."

With her breath shaking, she said, "That still doesn't make it okay."

"No," he said quietly. "That still doesn't mean that it's not true."

She remained mute as contained toShe stared at him; She then moved forward and rested her head on his chest, like she was just exhausted.

He held her warmly, Just to let her know he was there for her.

No promises,

No pressure,

Just a silent knowing.

Then she pulled away and slipped out the door.

---

The apartment felt void when she left.

Not because of her absence, but because of what she had dropped behind; her scent in the hoodie, the coffee mug with her lipstick stain, the memory on the couch where she had laid.

Elijah sat on the edge of the bed, facing the floors.

This wasn't a game,

Not a fling,

Not an accidental entanglement,

This was the beginning of something raw,

And beautiful;

And incredibly complicated,

He picked up his journal.

"We didn't kiss.

We didn't undress.

But somehow, I feel more exposed than I ever did with Lillian."

He set the journal down, walked to the window, and continued to admire the city.

The gravity of what they had done was all over his mind.

Because now, it wasn't about if,

It was about when.