Chapter 33

Aria

I wake slowly, my body aching in all the right places, a delicious soreness that reminds me of the passionate night I spent tangled in Callum's arms. For a moment, I allow myself to bask in the afterglow, a small smile playing at the corners of my lips as I stretch languidly beneath the sheets.

But as I reach out to the other side of the bed, expecting to feel the warm, solid presence of Callum's body, my hand meets only cold, empty space. Confused, I sit up, my eyes scanning the room for any sign of him.

That's when I see it. The note, a single sheet of paper folded on his pillow, my name scrawled across the front in his bold, familiar handwriting.

With trembling fingers, I reach for it, my heart pounding in my chest as I unfold the paper and read the words written there.

"Nothing's changed."

Two words, simple and stark, but they hit me like a punch to the gut. I feel the air leave my lungs in a rush, my throat constricting with a sudden, overwhelming surge of emotion.

Ang