101. THE WANTING HEAT

HOLLY’S POV I shut the bathroom door behind me, leaning heavily against it for a moment as I caught my breath. My legs barely carried me, shaky and sore, but I didn’t care. I needed the scalding heat of a shower more than anything right now. “No,” I said firmly, my voice sharp even though it wavered slightly. “I’m going to shower alone.” I didn’t wait for his reply. Instead, I turned the lock and stepped into the small space, my body tense, my chest tight. As soon as the water hit my skin, I let out a shaky exhale, the heat washing over me, soothing the ache in my muscles and flushing away the remnants of what had just happened. But I couldn’t wash away the memories, not of the couch, of him, of the way he made me feel. The moment replayed in my mind like a loop I couldn’t pause, couldn’t stop. My hands braced against the tiles, and I let my head hang. I hadn’t told him. I hadn’t told Zeke I was leaving. He wasn’t supposed to mean anything. That’s what I had told my