Page 19 of Only ever you-Ana & Byron
Carefully, so carefully, he untangled himself, easing her onto the pillow without waking her. He brushed a kiss over her shoulder and pulled the quilt up to tuck her in, then stood, pulling on his hoodie and shoes in the quiet.
He turned back once, silhouetted by the faint glow of her bedside lamp with an unusually serious expression on his face.
Ana curled on her side, was still smiling.
He didn't want to leave.
But he had to.
He picked up his wallet, phone and belt before slowly tiptoeing to the window.
Click.
The window slid shut behind him.
Byron climbed back down the tree, slower this time. Not because of the bark or the creaking limbs but because something in his chest felt heavy.
He looked up at her window one last time, at the fairy lights glowing softly behind the curtains and for a second, he smiled too.
Then, he turned and disappeared into the dark.
Chapter nine
Chapter 9
Ana woke to sunlight spilling through the crack in her curtains, soft and golden. For a moment, there was warmth in her chest, a private, secret kind of glow inside her being that nothing could extinguish. She had known she was in love with Byron as long as she could remember.
Then she shifted.
A dull ache pulsed low in her body. Her thighs felt sore, heavy. Finger and hand-shaped bruises littered her upper thighs. When she moved again, she noticed the faint, rust-coloured smear on her bedsheet.
She stilled.
Memories rushed in -his breath on her neck, his mouth biting into her shoulder, the way he whispered her name like a secret wish he had never told anyone before. Their first time together.
A small, wobbly smile played at the corner of her mouth.
She traced the edge of her bracelet, now heavier with the latest charm he'd added and brought it to her mouth, biting down gently on the little silver boot.
She didn't regret it. How could she? But how could she look him in the eye again?
She checked her phone. No messages.
A minute later, a ping:
Byron:How you feelin'? Take somethin' if U're sore, yeah?
Her face flushed. She pulled the duvet over her head and smiled, even as her body throbbed.
***
She left the house early, scarf knotted tightly around her neck, not for the cold, but to hide the marks he'd left the night before. Her breath rose in soft clouds, misting the air as her boots clicked on the pavement. The wind bit at her cheeks, sharp and unapologetic. It should've cleared her head, but it did not dispel the loving feeling in her heart.
It was almost over now, just a few loose ends: paperwork, certificate submissions, and an internship letter. She was even finalizing her university preferences.
Newcastle.
Northumbria.
