Chapter 76

I hadn't moved. I couldn't. My limbs felt heavy, boneless, stretched, and used in ways they never had before. Every inch of my skin buzzed—warm, sore, tingling with the memory of touch. The sheets beneath me were soft velvet, but even that texture felt like too much against my overworked nerves. I drew in a shaky breath, the scent of sweat, sex, and Garcia still lingering on me. I turned my face into the pillow, trying to ground myself, but it only made the truth sharper. I had given myself completely without hesitation. I had let him claim my body, my heart, and my soul. What was I doing? My chest ached, not from regret, but from the quiet echo of something unnameable. Garcia hadn't kissed me, held me, or even looked back. He just took what he wanted and left—like it was routine. Like I was one more beautiful body to master and forget. Was that all I was meant to be? I shifted slightly, wincing as a dull ache flared through my hips. Garcia's words rang in my ears: "You'll remember thi