Prologue - What the hell happens now?
…What the hell happens now?
Eliza stirs, pulling the covers closer as she turns toward him. Her eyes flutter open, unfocused at first, then sharpening as they land on Dan. A flicker of uncertainty passes across her face before she offers a small, tentative smile.
“Hey,” she murmurs, her voice scratchy with sleep.
“Hey,” Dan replies, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He sits up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. The cool air bites at his skin, a stark contrast to the lingering warmth between the sheets.
Dan hesitates, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was thinking we could... grab breakfast or something. Downstairs. If you’re up for it.”
Eliza yawns, stretching in a way that feels too familiar and too fragile all at once. “Yeah,” she says softly. “That sounds nice.”
The hotel’s dining area is quiet, the faint clatter of dishes and murmur of low conversation filling the air. Dan and Eliza sit across from each other at a small table by the window.
Eliza stirs a tiny packet of sugar into her hot chocolate, the spoon clinking softly against the ceramic cup. Dan picks at his toast, glancing at her now and then.
“So,” he starts, the word hanging awkwardly in the air.
She looks up, her expression guarded but open. “So?”
Dan hesitates, “Did you sleep alright?”
Eliza snorts, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “As well as you can in a hotel bed, I guess.”
“Yeah,” he says, smiling faintly. “Same.”
The silence that follows isn’t entirely uncomfortable, but it’s not the easy kind they’re used to, either. It feels like standing at the edge of something, waiting to see if the ground will hold or give way…
