home

The apartment smelled like garlic and tomato when Isabella unlocked the door.

Daniel was in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, stirring a pot on the stove. He looked over his shoulder and smiled the moment he saw her.

“Hey. Perfect timing.”

Isabella dropped her gym bag by the wall and kicked off her shoes. “Something smells good.”

“Pasta. Nothing fancy.” He set the spoon down and walked over, wrapping his arms around her waist. “How was the gym?”

“Fine. Crowded.” She leaned into him for a second, letting her forehead rest against his shoulder. His shirt smelled clean. Familiar. “I need a real shower. The one there always feels rushed.”

Daniel kissed the top of her head. “Go ahead. I’ll finish up here.”

She disappeared into the bathroom, stripped out of the white sports bra and gray shorts, and stood under the hot water longer than necessary. When she came out she wore one of his old t-shirts and a pair of soft shorts. Her hair was still damp, loose around her shoulders.

Dinner was already on the table. They sat across from each other and ate without hurry. Daniel asked about her afternoon classes. Isabella told him about the upper-level section and how the freshmen were already testing boundaries. She left out the comments in the lecture hall. She left out Ryan entirely.

Afterward they moved to the couch. Daniel put on some quiet documentary neither of them really watched. Isabella curled against his side, legs tucked under her, and let him run his fingers slowly through her hair. The television light flickered across the room. Outside, the campus had gone dark.

“Long day?” he asked after a while.

“Long enough.”

He pressed a kiss to her temple. “You seemed a little quiet at dinner.”

Isabella kept her eyes on the screen. “Just tired. First day always takes more than it should.”

Daniel’s hand settled at the back of her neck, warm and steady. “I’ve got you.”

She closed her eyes and let the words sit there. The apartment was quiet except for the low sound of the television. Somewhere across campus the gym lights were probably still on. Ryan might still be there, finishing his own workout, still thinking about the way she had looked under the bar.

Isabella opened her eyes again and stared at the ceiling.

Daniel shifted beside her, already half asleep. She stayed awake a little longer, listening to his breathing even out, feeling the solid weight of his arm around her. The engagement ring on her finger caught the light from the screen every time she moved her hand. Eventually she reached for the remote and turned the television off. The room fell into soft darkness. Isabella stayed where she was, tucked against the man who loved her, and waited for sleep to come.