The night had been chaos but the hours that followed… were something else entirely. Rafael hadn't slept even for a second.
Aria lay on the bed, unconscious, her breathing soft but uneven, her face pale in the dim light. The fierce, defiant girl from earlier was gone. In her place was someone fragile… someone who didn't even realize how much she had shaken him.
He sat beside her at first, silent, watching. Making sure she was okay.
Minutes turned into hours and then, sometime past midnight she stirred.
A faint sound left her lips, her brows knitting together as discomfort crossed her face. Rafael leaned forward instantly. "Aria?"
No response.
But then she turned slightly, and everything happened too fast.
He caught her just in time as she leaned over the edge of the bed, her body reacting to the alcohol. Without hesitation, he held her steady, one hand supporting her, the other pulling her hair back so it wouldn't fall forward.
