Page 26 of Ready or Not
13 /SOLÈNE
I wokeup refreshed like no other.
An itch scratched, and the air suddenly felt easier to breathe. Any lingering weight that my ex had left behind had been lifted. Last night with Desi was wonderful, and I couldn't stop the smile tugging at my lips as I replayed the moments. Like a rainbow blossoming after a long storm, it erased every trace that burrowed into the corners of my mind, giving me the fresh romantic start I yearned for.
The weight I’d carried for months was no more.
Making me wonder how I had ever been content settling for less.
I had tasted what it felt like to be truly seen, truly heard, and I couldn't go back to pretending otherwise.
Now, I just hoped that Desi felt the same way.
The sound of birds chirping outside his window added a cheery soundtrack to my morning thoughts. Sunlight streamed in through the curtains, painting soft golden patches on the hardwood floor. I stretched lazily, savoring the warmth of his comforter for a moment longer before my hands reached the other side of the bed, hoping to find him still there. Meetingemptiness, my smile faltered, just a notch, as my fingers brushed against the crisp sheet.
Hm.
The clock on his nightstand blinked 9:47 AM. I sat up slowly, letting the blanket fall away as I stretched again. Straining my ear to listen, I heard no movement. The room still carried faint traces of him: the scent of his cologne mingling with the clean smell of freshly washed sheets. Curiosity nudged at me as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood, the wooden floor cool against my bare feet.
Had he left for an early errand?
Gym maybe?
Hm.
He went to grab?—
I paused, noticing my clothes and a couple of things neatly folded on a durango lounge chair with my bag by it. The sight made my chest tighten.
Words caught in my throat, tight and tangled like an overgrown vine. My eyes lingered too long on the perfectly arranged pile, as if studying it would unravel some hidden meaning. The air seemed to shift, just slightly replaced by something heavier, unspoken.
A note.There has to be a note.
I looked around his room for a note in hopes of making sense of his absence or the sudden ease pooling at the base of my stomach, yet found none.
Was this... purposeful?
No, that wasn’t right.
Desi wasn’t like that.
But Naomi had told me: “If a man takes the time to fold your clothes after a one-night stand, he’s trying to keep you at arm’s length.”
Her voice echoed in my mind, the way it always did when she said something observant and maddeningly correct. I shook her words off, convinced that her jaded perspective couldn’t possibly apply to Desi. He wasn’t like the others she’s experienced. His kindness wasn’t a façade; he didn’t seem like the type to overthink his actions or play games.
He was too observant for this.
Too intentional.
Every move last night he made felt deliberate… So why did this feel like something entirely different?
Still, standing there in his room, surrounded by traces of him but no presence to match—it made me uneasy. I didn’t want to overthink it, and didn't want to let Naomi’s skeptical tone claw its way into my good mood. But something about the way my belongings were so carefully laid out whispered planning more than happenstance.
This was unknown territory for me, considering that this was my first time having a one-night stand… ever.
Maybe I was jumping to conclusions. Maybe he had something urgent that needed his attention—something he hadn’t anticipated.
The silence in the apartment felt heavier now, pressing against my chest. I passed my hand over my dress, my fingers twitching like they couldn’t decide what to do next. A dull ache bloomed at the base of my throat.
