Maddie's POV
The soft, diffused light of dawn filtered through the curtains, gently rousing me from my slumber. Blinking away sleep, I stretched lazily in my cozy bed, feeling the warmth of my blankets cocooning me. As I slowly became more aware of my surroundings, a pleasant realization dawned on me: Mariko was just a few steps away in the lounge, the man who had entered my life like a whirlwind and stirred my heart like never before.
The events of last night played in my mind like a movie reel, each scene etching itself into my memory. Mariko's confession about his feelings, our conversation about contraception and future plans, it was all so surreal yet undeniably real. And then, that intense moment when our desires nearly got the best of us, only to be tempered by our commitment to w
