The next morning, Serena awoke early, her body stiff from a restless night. The events of the previous evening played on a loop in her mind, Eli’s soft murmur of Arietta still echoing like a bell she couldn’t unhear. She had hoped for clarity in the dawn, that maybe the new day would help her brush off the pang of hurt. But as the golden light of morning filtered through the window, the weight on her chest remained.
She glanced over at Eli, still sleeping soundly next to her. His face was peaceful, utterly unaware of the turmoil he had caused. Her first instinct was to reach out and wake him, to demand an explanation, but what would she even say? That she had overheard a name in his sleep? How could she confront him about a dream when he didn’t even know what he had said?
No, Serena wasn
