Chapter 36: A dream
A sharp knock echoed through the stillness, jolting Ella awake.
Her heart slammed against her ribs, breath catching in her throat as the dream dissolved into the darkened room. Her body was burning—cheeks flushed, skin damp, the ghost of Nicholas’ hands still lingering on her hips.
It was a dream?
Her mind struggled to catch up, still drunk on the heat that felt far too real. Her pulse pounded in her ears as she sat up slowly, trying to steady her breathing. The knock came again—firm, impatient.
"Ella?"
Her stomach clenched at the sound of his voice.
Oh God.
Her heart climbed into her throat as she glanced at the door, panic flickering in her chest. For one terrifying second, she wondered if she had somehow crossed some invisible line—if he knew what she had been dreaming about.
"Ella," Nicholas’ voice came softer this time, a little more curious. "Are you awake?"
She scrambled out of bed, tugging the oversized t-shirt she slept in lower down her thighs, trying to calm the wild thrum in her chest. Her legs still felt weak—like they remembered something her mind was trying to convince her had never happened.
Her hand trembled on the doorknob as she cracked it open.