Chapter 133

Melanie’s POV

I braced myself for the morning-after weirdness, imagining Asher and me tiptoeing around one another like two socially awkward raccoons. But nope—the universe apparently loves surprises. Instead, we got bellowing from upstairs that sounded like Theo discovering his inner Viking. His triumphant battle cry jolted us upright. We blinked at each other, shared that bleary “Did-we-just-peak-at-each-other’s-PJs?” grin, and then—because romance does not always wait for perfect timing—Asher swooped in for a kiss that was all sweet caffeine and promise. Then he slid out from under the covers like a ninja escaping justice, leaving me buried beneath a blanket I don’t even remember pulling over my head.

“Go back to sleep,” he murmured as he tiptoed away, voice softer than a marshmallow’s sigh.

I squinted at the clock: two glorious hours before my first Zumba class. And with Asher manning the fort, I wouldn’t have to drag a toddler on a cardio adventure. Sco