The kiss stayed with her long after the door closed.

It did not cling to her lips in a reckless way. It settled deeper than that, sinking beneath her skin and weaving into her breath. Violet stood in the center of her living room, listening to the quiet hum of the city outside her windows, and realized that something fundamental had shifted.

Nothing had spiraled out of control. Nothing had broken pace. Yet the air felt altered, as though the room had memorized the shape of them standing close.

She walked to the kitchen slowly, pouring herself a glass of water she barely tasted. Her pulse had steadied, but the...