Book 1: Afterglow Dimmed

Ainslee

My body hurts. It’s not the sort of pain that makes me think I might die if I don’t get to a healer right away, but it’s a bit uncomfortable. I suck in some air and adjust on the bed, wondering how a person is supposed to get over this. How long does it take?

But then, it was so much fun causing all this pain, maybe I don’t care.

My eyes open, and I stare up at the ceiling for a moment, contemplating the events of the night before. A smile falls into place, and I bat my eyelashes, dreamily thinking about him.

I know he’s not here. When I woke up in the middle of the night to hobble into the other room to pee, he was gone. I can still smell him every time I inhale, which is comforting, but I do wish he would’ve slept with me. I wish I could’ve woken up with my hair spilling over his chest, his strong arm wrapped around me. We would gaze into one another’s eyes and whisper about how much we enjoy each other’s company.

Not love, th