It's been four days.
Four days of steady work.
Of deadlines and fittings and forcing myself to stay in motion so I don't overthink what's not happening.
He hasn't texted.
No missed calls.
No flowers. No apologies.
Just space.
And oddly… that's what's been screwing with me the most.
Because it doesn't feel like silence.
It feels like restraint.
Like he meant what he said—about earning it—and now he's trying not to ruin the one moment I finally let him in.
I push a pin into the hem of a sample dress and step back. The mannequin stands in soft light near the window, half-dressed, half-waiting.
Kind of like me.
There's a soft knock at the door.
I freeze.
I wasn't expecting anyone.
Elijah would've texted.
My clients are done for the day.
Delivery guys don't knock like that.
My chest tightens.
I walk to the door, heart in my throat, and open it.
It's him.
But he doesn't speak right away.
He's holding something.
A slim, flat, carefully wrapped bundle—soft brown paper, tied with raw twine. Familiar.
Fabric.
My breath catches.
"I was in Madrid last month," he says, voice low. "Didn't get a chance to give this to you. Found it in a small boutique in Malasaña. Hand-dyed. I remembered how you said no one gets your shades of ivory right."
I swallow hard.
"You remembered that?"
He nods.
"I've been remembering everything."
I reach for it.
Our hands brush.
It's warm.
Not charged.
Not rushed.
Just… soft.
I untie the twine slowly.
Peel the paper open.
And there it is.
The most beautiful ivory silk I've ever seen. Not too bright. Not too dull. There's a faint rose hue beneath the surface—like it's blushing.
It's perfect.
Exactly what I've been trying to find for months.
I blink. Too fast. Too many times.
"Lyra," he says softly, "I don't need an answer. I just needed you to know I'm still listening."
I look up.
He's not smiling.
He's not performing.
He's just… here.
Present.
Real.
My voice barely makes it out. "Thank you."
He steps back.
Not asking to come in.
Not trying to stay.
But before he turns to go, he says one more thing.
"Take your time. I'll be here."
And then… he walks away.