Charis
I'd woken up an hour ago to an empty room.
For the first time in what felt like days, rather than feeling abandoned, I'd felt a sense of relief—finally, some space to breathe and think without his intense gaze atching me.
Deciding to make myself useful, I'd spent the morning tidying up. I swept and cleaned the room thoroughly, changed the bedsheets with fresh ones I'd found in his closet, and placed the used linens in the laundry basket. It felt good to be productive, to contribute something positive after being such a burden.
The only problem was that I didn't have my toiletries. I had to change the itchy bandage around my chest, clean my wounds and change into fresh clothes. I knew I'd have to go back to Slater's room eventually to collect my things, but when I tried to open Kael's door to go out, I discovered it was locked and there was no spare key.
So now, I sat waiting, hugging my knees to my chest, with a slight smile on my lips, waiting for Kael to return.