{STEPHANIE}
Since Francesco had left, my restlessness had been the bone-crushing corset around my ribcage. Falling asleep hadn't been an option, so I spent the nights painting. The exhaustion struck when it was dawning, and I tiredly decided to stumble into the bathroom to wash off the drops of paint from my arms and, and crawl into the cold, empty bed.
I closed my eyes, but despite how drained I was, the sleep didn't come. I wasn't sure how long I waited, struggling to catch some sleep before I heard the door opening and closing. My heart tripped in response.
"Francesco?" I murmured, turning around and trying to find him in the darkness of the
"I didn't mean to wake you up–"
"No. You didn't wake me up. I couldn't sleep anyway..."
A soft chuckle sounded. "Were you waiting for me, firecracker?" The soft rustle followed. The bed dipped slightly, and a moment later, I was pulled against his bare chest. "Did you miss me?" he purred as his arms wrapped around me.
