In the dark, Jensen Sterling didn't know how long he had been standing there. Eventually, he rose and went back to the bedroom, leaving a densely packed pile of cigarette butts in the ashtray on the small table.
In the bedroom, the young lady on the bed was still asleep, her face peaceful. Jensen stood quietly beside the bed for a long time, his lips curving into a small smile. He bent down slightly to tidy the girl's disheveled hair and then headed into the bathroom.
Standing there for so long, his whole body was imbued with the smell of smoke; he definitely needed a wash.
...
The next day.
A phone's ringtone echoed in the quiet room—it was the alarm Mia Sutton had specifically set to wake up early today. Sunbeams trickled through, casting light on the blanket and the beautiful face of the girl, as if enveloping her whole being in sunshine.
