Chapter 174

Claire's POV Fresh from the shower, I climbed into bed wearing my pajamas. The apartment felt eerily quiet with Joey gone, she'd returned home after finishing exams. Everyone needed their own life. I tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position. Sleep refused to come. My thoughts kept circling back to Lucius, like a moth to flame. His scent seemed to linger on my pillow, though rationally I knew it couldn't. My longing for him grew like wild vines, wrapping around my heart and squeezing tight. "You could just go to him," Stella suggested, her voice a gentle hum in my mind. "No," I replied firmly. "I can't." I wanted to throw on some clothes and race to his house. To hold him. Kiss him. But I had to be strong. We'd agreed on two weeks apart. Two weeks for him to sort out his mess with Evelyn. Half a month would pass quickly. I just had to hold on. My phone suddenly rang, startling me from my thoughts. Lucius's name flashed on the screen. I hesitated, my finger hovering over