Chapter 64: The Fragrance of Doubt
The elevator dinged, its doors sliding open to the ground floor of Sara’s fancy tower building. I stepped out, my legs heavy, and the morning air hit me full force—crisp and cool, carrying the faint smell of grass and city streets.
The sunlight was bright, almost too bright, glaring off the glass windows around me and making me squint.
"Ahhm..." I groaned, my head spinning, dizzy from everything that had gone down with Sara.
My body ached in places I didn’t even know could ache, and my mind was a foggy mess, replaying her moans, her hands, her wild grin.
I fumbled in my pocket, pulling out my phone to check the time. The screen lit up—11 a.m.—and my stomach dropped when I saw the notifications: two missed calls and a message from Aeri. *When will you be home?* it read, simple and innocent, but it hit me like a punch.
"Oh shit!" I muttered, freezing mid-step on the sidewalk. My heart kicked into gear, and I broke into a run, my white sneakers against the ground as I ran toward train station then to home.
The city went past me—cars honking, people chatting on their way to work, the smell of coffee drifting from a nearby café. My black t-shirt and shirt clung to my back, sweaty from the rush, and my jeans felt too tight, like they were holding me back.
About an hour later, I stumbled up to our house, my chest heaving as I jammed my key into the lock.
*Clack.* The door swung open, and I stepped inside, the familiar smell of home—clean laundry and spices—washing over me.