-Aurelian Salvatore:
I kept my expression carefully neutral as I turned the package over in my hands, pretending the weight of it meant nothing, pretending the way my pulse had subtly shifted beneath my skin had nothing to do with the fact that he had chosen this for me.
Pretending like the fact that he went out of his way this morning to go through all the options and pick this specially for me, wrapping and bringing it to me with cookies, didn't affect me, and didn't start filling that emptiness in my chest little by little.
Without another word, I moved past him and into the bathroom, closing the door behind me with deliberate calm. The quiet inside felt thicker somehow, the faint scent of soap and steam still lingering in the air as I leaned back against the door for a brief second before looking down at the gift again.
