Ray didn’t rush me after we talked—if anything, he gave me even more space, like he wanted to prove every word he’d said. The room he’d shown me to last night was still mine this morning, untouched except for the folded clothes he’d slipped onto the chair while I slept. Nothing dramatic, nothing extravagant. Simple. Comfortable. Neutral colors. It didn’t feel like I was being dressed up like some doll or trophy. It felt like he thought about practicality for once.
I stood in front of the mirror, towel wrapped around me as I stared at the clothes waiting for me. A soft gray shirt, slightly oversized. Jeans that actually looked like they’d fit me. Clean sneakers. It was casual enough that my nerves shouldn’t be spiking like this, but they were. Because it wasn’t the outfit that shook me—it
