17. morning after

I woke up to soft sunlight filtering through the curtains, casting a warm, golden glow over the room. My head felt heavy, like it had been filled with cotton, and my body ached from the remnants of last night's adrenaline. For a moment, I was disoriented, unsure of where I was.

As I slowly opened my eyes, the reality of the situation hit me.

I was in Hamzah's bed.

My heart raced as I took in the surroundings-the dark sheets, the messy room that somehow felt more intimate than usual, and the familiar scent of him in the air. I turned my head and found Hamzah lying beside me, his arm draped loosely over my waist, his breathing steady and slow.

For a moment, I just stared at him, the weight of everything from last night crashing down on me. What had happened? How had we ended up here?

The memories came flooding back-our shared laughter, the drinks, the kiss in the park, the heat between us that had been impossible to ignore. We had crossed a line last night, a line neither of us had been willing to cross before. And now, here we were, tangled in the aftermath.

I shifted slightly, careful not to disturb him, but the movement caused him to stir. His hand tightened around me, pulling me closer without fully waking. My breath caught in my throat at the sudden closeness. His face was inches from mine, his hair a bit wild, his lips slightly parted as he slept.

I couldn't help but smile, even though my heart was still pounding in my chest. There was something so disarming about him when he was asleep-so innocent, so unguarded. It made me feel vulnerable, but in the best possible way. I could see now why I had always felt drawn to him, even before things had changed between us.

But now... now everything felt different. The kiss, the way we had touched, the way I had let him in-I hadn't known what to expect, but this? Waking up in his bed, with him so close, felt like a whole new world.

I slid out of the bed carefully, trying not to wake him, but as I swung my legs over the side, I felt the familiar weight of the situation settle back on my shoulders. What did this mean? Was this just a moment of passion, something fueled by the heat of the night, or was it something more? Something real?

I stood, my feet touching the cold hardwood floor as I tried to make sense of everything that had happened. My head was a blur, like I couldn't quite get a grip on my thoughts. I needed space. I needed time to figure this out, to understand what had shifted between us.

But as I moved toward the door, I heard a low groan from behind me.

"Cora?" Hamzah's voice was thick with sleep, his eyes still closed as he reached out, his hand brushing the empty space where I had been. His voice was soft, a little hoarse. "Where are you going?"

I hesitated, looking back over my shoulder. His gaze was still heavy with sleep, his face a little more serious than it had been the night before. His eyes searched mine, looking for something, as if he wasn't sure what was happening either.

"I... I just need a minute," I said, my voice quieter than I intended.

He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes before running a hand through his messy hair. "Okay, take your time."

I nodded, picking up my clothes off the floor and my phone. I was stuck in a choice, to leave or to stay. I placed my clothes back on the ground picking up one of hamzah's shirt, not wanting to wear my top from last night in bed.

I could tell he was smiling as I climbed back in, getting close to him but not facing him.

"Shut up," I mutter,"I didn't say anything," he spoke holding his hands up in defence, slowly lowering them to hold me. I shifted in the bed until I found a comfortable spot and began scrolling on TikTok, Hamzah watching from behind me.

Eventually, Hamzah moved to stand up, stretching as he did. He gave me a small smile, his eyes soft. "You want me to make breakfast? I'm starving."

I chuckled, relieved that we were moving forward without diving straight into heavy conversations. "Yeah, that sounds good."

We left the room together, stepping out into the living room where the sun was now fully awake, casting light over everything. The tension hadn't disappeared, but it felt different now-less like a burden and more like something we were both learning to navigate, one step at a time. And in that moment, that was enough.

"Good morning," Hamzah said, his voice warm as he turned to me with a playful grin.I smiled back, my heart still a little unsure but lighter than it had been moments ago. "Good morning, Hamzah."