The moment she left the room, the silence hit him like a punch straight to the chest.
Cassian froze where he stood.
The bedroom suddenly felt unfamiliar… too quiet… too empty… like something essential had just been ripped out of it. His gaze remained fixed on the closed door, as if staring long enough would make it open again—make her walk back in and erase everything he had just said.
Then it sank in.
"Fuck…" The word slipped out under his breath, rough and uneven. He dragged a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands as he began pacing across the room. One step. Two steps. Three.
He stopped abruptly, his chest tightening like invisible chains had wrapped around his ribs.
"I shouldn't have said that."
His voice dropped into a broken whisper, almost like he didn't want the walls to hear him confess it.
"A lover? A mistress?" he repeated, the words tasting like poison in his mouth.
A hollow laugh escaped him, sharp and self-mocking.
"Fucking idiot."
