The days that followed our evening together felt almost dreamlike in their simplicity, as though life had softened its edges just for me. Every call from Soren carried warmth that lingered long after the line went silent.

 Every laugh we shared—easy, unforced—settled deep in my chest. Every stolen glance across a crowded room held a gravity I had never known before. It wasn’t infatuation. It wasn’t comfort. It was love—raw, steady, consuming. Love I had never felt from a man ...