Morning came too early.
Alex woke before the light had fully settled into the room,that strange grey-blue hour when the world feels like it's holding its breath, but your head is already running at full speed. Nicole was still asleep beside him, her breathing slow and steady, her dark hair fanned out across the pillow like she owned not just that space but the entire world. He lay there for what felt like a few seconds but was probably closer to a minute, staring up at the ceiling, his mind replaying fragments of the night before on an endless loop. The wine they'd shared. The agreement they'd reached. Her absolute certainty about everything. The way she had held him afterward, like the conversation had tied up every loose end and solved every problem between them.
But it hadn't.
Not even close.
