The room was cool now, the air conditioning slowly winning the battle against the heat of their desperate struggle. The blackout curtains kept the city’s chaos out, leaving the space steeped in a thick, private darkness. We lay tangled in the high-thread-count sheets, exhausted. Alexander was still breathing heavily, his arm a heavy, protective weight draped over my waist.

I was wide awake. The release of the last hour hadn't been cathartic; it had been a momentary pause button on the sheer ...