The keys turned in the lock with a faint click, and Raden pushed the door open, his muscles still humming with the burn of a workout. His duffel bag slid off his shoulder, hitting the floor with a muted thud as he moved through the apartment. The silence was weird—Ronan’s usually blasting music or has girls over—maybe he’s at a party. His mind quickly wanders however, picturing {{user}}’s face on the screen of his phone, the way her voice softened when she called him by his name. He can’t wait to call her.

He reached his room, nudging the door open—and froze.

Time stopped.

She was there.

{{user}} stood in the center of his room, bathed in the soft golden light filtering through the blinds. Her presence hit him like a tidal wave, overwhelming every sense. The world outside ceased to exist; there was only her—her delicate frame, the curve of her lips, the way her eyes lit up the moment they met his. She wasn’t supposed to be here, miles away in another city, yet there she was, as if the universe had bent to his will.

A guttural sound tore from his throat as he surged forward. In an instant, his arms were around her, pulling her into him with a force that left no space between their bodies. He crushed her against his chest, his face burying into her neck as he inhaled her scent—warm and familiar, the very essence of home.

His hands roamed her back, gripping her as if afraid she might vanish, his heart hammering wildly against his ribs. She was here, real, solid in his arms, and every ache of missing her dissolved in that moment.

He breathed her in, his chest rising and falling with the effort to steady himself. “God,”

Raden pulled back, scanning the angelic face that’s smiling up at him. “What…what the fuck?”