Mikhail's POVI woke up feeling like death. For several seconds, I lay motionless on the bed staring at the ceiling, my mind blank and my body heavy from the alcohol coursing through my system. Then reality returned all at once. Nora. Houston. Gone. The ache hit immediately, sharp and merciless, squeezing around my chest until breathing felt like work. My throat felt dry enough to crack, my head pounded with every beat of my heart, and the half-empty whiskey bottle sitting on my nightstand explained exactly why. I groaned and pushed myself upright, instantly regretting it when the room tilted slightly. "Fuck." Pressing my palms against my eyes, I tried to steady myself. Sometime after Nora left yesterday, I had drunk myself into oblivion. I remembered standing in the foyer watching her walk away. Remembered the sound of the front door closing behind her. Remembered the unbearable silence afterward. Everything beyond that was whiskey, anger, and grief.Dragging myself out of bed, I
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