The apartment was a quiet haven after the storm of the last day, the soft afternoon light filtering through the living room window, casting a warm glow across the hardwood floor. The faint scent of Aeri's lavender candle lingered, mixing with the clean smell of fresh sheets I'd changed out after Raya and Kalina left.
My body was heavy, the weight of the night—the brothel, the subway fight, the heated chaos with the girls—still aching in my muscles as I trudged to my bedroom.
*Plop.* I dropped onto the bed, landing on my back, the mattress sinking under me, the new dark blue bedsheet cool against my skin.
"Phew, feels so relaxing," I said, my voice soft, my hands spreading out to feel the bed's familiar comfort, my eyes closing as the tension in my shoulders eased.
