She followed me without hesitation, her grip on my hand tightening. The bag still hung from her shoulder, bouncing slightly as we walked down the hallway. I wondered what she'd packed. What she thought tonight would entail. What scenarios had played through her mind during that shopping trip.
My bedroom door was open, the lights already dimmed. King-sized bed with dark sheets. Floor-to-ceiling windows along one wall, offering the same view as the living room. I'd made sure all traces of Mera were removed—her hairbrush from the bathroom counter, her book from the nightstand. Tonight was about Cheon, and I didn't need reminders of complications.
She stood in the doorway for a moment, taking it all in. I watched her face as she looked at the bed, imagining herself on it. With me.
"You can put your bag down," I said, nodding toward a chair in the corner. "And take your shoes off if they're uncomfortable."
