Not a promise. Not a refusal. Just a postponement.
Valerie let out a long breath. A faint smile appeared on her lips not the smile of happiness, but of someone who was tired of hoping for too much. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to sink into the pillow. The night felt endless, even as time continued to move forward.
Demian remained seated at the edge of the bed for a while, watching Valerie as she slowly drifted to sleep. Her face was peaceful, yet it carried too many unspoken things. Without wanting to admit it, Demian realized that his silence all this time might have wounded her more deeply than an outright rejection ever could.
Still, he said nothing.
Morning arrived with pale light slipping through the narrow gap in the curtains. The air in the room felt lighter, yet the tension from the previous night lingered thin and suspended, like mist that had not fully lifted.
