Tori's POV – "The Bedroom Problem"
This was a mistake. A huge mistake.
Jade being back was bad enough. But Jade being in this room—our old room—was something else entirely.
The second we crossed the threshold with the loveseat, the memories slammed into me like a freight train.
The way we used to tumble into bed, tangled together in laughter and whispers. The way she used to press her lips to my shoulder in the mornings, half-asleep and too stubborn to admit she was soft for me. The way we'd fight, loud and sharp, only to end up in bed again, because neither of us ever knew how to let go.
And worse—so much worse—was the bed itself.
I hadn't changed it.
God, how had I not thought about that before?
The same mattress. The same frame. The same goddamn sheets.
I felt exposed. Like Jade could see how much I had held onto, even when I told myself I had moved on. And when her eyes flicked to the bed—just for a second, barely a glance—I knew she had noticed.
I braced myself for a reaction. A snide comment. A knowing smirk. Something.
But she just kept moving.
Like it didn't matter.
Like she wasn't haunted by it.
Like I was the only one feeling like I couldn't breathe in here.
I swallowed hard, gripping the loveseat tighter, suddenly desperate to get this over with. "Let's just put this thing down and go."
Jade arched a brow, clearly amused by my urgency. "Wow, Vega. You that excited about a couch?"
No. I was not excited about a couch. I was panicking about her being in here. About the fact that I was the only one spiraling.
We set the loveseat down in the corner, and Jade straightened up, stretching her back with a groan. "There. Now your precious baby has a royal throne to sleep on."
Sinister, as if on cue, hopped up onto the loveseat and curled into a ball, looking completely at home.
Jade scoffed. "Unbelievable."
I forced a laugh, but my mind was still stuck on the bed. On how much hadn't changed.
Jade wiped her hands on her jeans, then turned toward the door. "Well, that was fun. See ya."
I exhaled, relieved. She was leaving.
But as she stepped out, she threw one last glance over her shoulder—at the bed. And for a moment, just a flicker, I thought I saw something in her eyes.
And then she was gone.
I stood there for a second, staring at the empty doorway, my pulse still racing.
Then I turned to Sinister, who was purring contentedly on the loveseat.
"You better be worth this," I muttered, flopping down beside her.
She just blinked at me, unbothered.
Lucky her.