When Julian woke up, the sky outside the window had already turned a soft shade of red. For a moment, he blinked slowly, confused by the silence.
Ruby wasn't beside him.
The spot next to him on the bed was empty, the sheets cool. His heart fluttered, disappointed like a child who woke up from a beautiful dream.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes and brushing his messy hair out of his face. "She let me sleep this long...?" he muttered, half-guilty and half-worried.
After freshening up, he stepped quietly out into the hallway, still blinking sleep out of his lashes. The house had a soft, lived-in calmness, faint clatter from the kitchen, a few birds chirping in the distance, and distant voices from one of the rooms.
He followed the sound until he peeked into one of the side rooms and smiled softly.
