"When I say there's no one else, there’s no one else"

The night outside deepened as the events inside the room drew close.

Emily lay on the bed, her body bare, her features flushed with the afterglow of their intense sex. She had only eaten a protein bar throughout the day, leaving her hungry. The physical exertion now made her feel it was an almost inhuman task.

Murray emerged from the bathroom, and his figure wreathed in steaming mist, his damp hair slicked back, accentuating his striking features amidst the swirling vapors.

He sat at the edge of the bed, legs apart, arms resting on his knees, looking down. "What did you just say?" he asked, a posture he usually took while dealing with contraceptives post-intimacy.

Emily, suddenly confused and alarmed, sat up abruptly. It dawned on her why the encounters had felt different and why she had experienced unfamiliar sensations in her body. He hadn't used protection.

"You're crazy. Why