✦ Chapter Nineteen: Silk and Surrender ✦

Willow

She hadn’t even tried to sleep the night before.

Her mind had been spinning since the chat. Since the time and place had been set. Since the moment she realized that, no matter what David said, he still wanted her. He hadn’t deleted her. He hadn’t erased her name from his memory.

That meant something. It had to.

The dress she picked was black. Soft velvet, vintage-style, just above the knees. Sleeves that slipped off the shoulder with a whisper. The kind of thing she'd seen in old movies—the sort David loved. Audrey Hepburn would’ve worn it, or Natalie Wood. And Willow wore it for him.

She curled her hair again. The same ritual as always: flatten, curl, twist, spray. More effort than he’d ever asked for, but less than she wanted to give. She dabbed a little gloss on her lips, the faintest shimmer. Not red. Not something that screamed look at me. Just enough.

Aslan, nestled on her bed, gave a soft whimper as Willow slipped on her shoes.

“I’ll be back soon,” she promised, kissing the dachshund’s head. “Promise. Don’t tell Mom.”

She knew she wouldn’t be able to stay the night. But that wasn’t the point. It was about being with him. About proving something to herself. That he still wanted her. That they weren’t broken.

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David

He heard her before he saw her.

The cautious tap of knuckles. Two. Then a pause. Then three more, like a secret knock she hadn’t even realized she’d invented.

David’s hands hesitated on the doorknob. He was wearing a soft gray sweater, his usual dark jeans. He hadn’t shaved, hadn’t wanted to seem like he was trying—though the apartment said otherwise.

He opened the door.

And there she was.

“Hi,” she said softly, smile tucked into the corner of her mouth. “Miss me?”