AYASHA'S POV
I pulled my hand from Koda's and reached for my undergarments, the coarse fabric rough against my fingertips. The morning light streaming through the windows made everything feel too exposed, too real. I needed to leave before someone else discovered us here together.
"You should rest," I said, pulling my gown over my head. The fabric settled around me like armor, but I still felt vulnerable. "You lost a lot of blood last night."
Koda's hand shot out and caught my wrist. His grip was weak but insistent. "Stay with me. Please."
I looked down at his face, at the way his dark eyes held mine with desperate hope. Part of me wanted to crawl back into that narrow bed and pretend the world outside these walls didn't exist. But that was a luxury neither of us could afford.
"I can't." I gently pulled my wrist from his grasp. "I need to see Pavati. There's something I dropped on her bed that isn't necessary anymore."
