I woke before the alarm.
For a few seconds, nothing felt out of place. The room was quiet, the air still, the early light just beginning to press through the curtains. Then my body caught up with the rest of me, and everything from the night before settled in at once.
The ache came first.
Low, steady, impossible to ignore.
It spread through my hips and thighs, a lingering reminder of exactly how far things had gone. My skin felt too sensitive, every shift against the sheets pulling a reaction I couldn't fully suppress. Even my breathing felt different, slower but heavier, as if my body hadn't entirely come down from it yet.
I stared at the ceiling for a moment longer before exhaling quietly.
So this was what came after, something far more complicated than either regret or confusion.
