Chapter 96

Julian’s POV

Morning light filtered through the curtains in streams, painting the room in long golden bars. I lay half-awake on the mattress as the sun crept across the sheets. Clara wrapped her arms around me like a possessive cat, fingers digging in at my side. She’d been up all night reading, and now, despite her fatigue, she clung to me as though I were a lifeline.

I shifted, awkwardly disentangling her hands from my chest. “Let go,” I muttered, not unkindly, but firmly. Gently, I pried her grip free, pushed her palms away, and rolled off the bed. My bare feet hit the cool floor. I stood, pulling on my shirt and jeans, the fabric sliding over my skin. Clara mumbled something and buried her face back into the pillow, refusing to open her eyes.

I crossed to the bathroom and flicked on the light. Steam still hung in the air from my shower the night before. I splashed cold water on my face, scrubbing at my cheeks, trying to clear away the last traces of slee