Chapter Thirty-One: The Morning After
(Ria's POV)
Sunlight filtered through my curtains, warm and unrelenting. I blinked a few times, groaning. My head felt heavy, heart still thumping, and my chest… tight.
I rolled onto my side and stared at my pillow, trying to remember everything from last night.
The party, the quiet drive, Miles's surprise, the way he had looked at me… every small touch, every whispered word. My hands tingled as I traced the edge of the blanket.
And then the memory of the kiss hit me full force — long, messy, intense. My cheeks burned, my stomach flipped, and I couldn't stop thinking about how close he'd been, how his thumb had brushed my face, how… everything.
I whispered to the empty room, "Okay. Okay. Nothing's different. Nothing can be different."
But my heart wasn't listening.
I sat up, staring at my phone, half-expecting a message from him. Nothing yet. Just silence — and that was almost worse.
Lia's voice popped into my head, teasing from the party: "Careful, Ria. Things are moving fast!"
I groaned and buried my face in my hands. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was overthinking. Maybe Miles just… really liked me, and I liked him back more than I'd ever admit.
I shook my head. "It's fine. It was just… a kiss. That's all. He asked me. I said yes. Everything's okay. Totally fine."
But deep down, I knew it wasn't just a kiss. Not anymore. Something had changed — and for the first time in years, I wasn't sure I was ready for just how much.
I got out of bed and padded to the kitchen, clutching my robe. Coffee. That's all I needed. Maybe if I could wake up enough, think clearly, the butterflies, the panic, the… intensity… would calm down.
But they didn't.
They were still there. And I had a feeling they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.