Chapter 26. Absence

Avery’s POV

It had been days since the hooded man last visited the bar. Despite my best efforts to push him out of my mind, his absence lingered like an unanswered question. I kept telling myself it was better this way. After all, I’d turned him down for a reason. I didn’t need more complications in my life—not after what I’d already been through.

Yet, each evening, I found myself glancing toward the door whenever it opened, half expecting him to walk in. His usual corner seat remained unoccupied, the shadows seeming heavier without him there.

I couldn’t stop thinking about that night, no matter how hard I tried. The memory played in my mind like a reel on endless repeat, every detail etched so deeply that I could almost feel it happening again.

The warmth of his hand on my wrist was the first thing I always remembered. It wasn’t just the physical sensation—though I could still recall the roughness of his skin and the strength of his grip. It was the w