The mornings were always the same: sunlight spilling through the thin curtains, the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen, and the stillness of an empty bed. For years, Ellie Carter had grown used to waking up alone, her neatly arranged pillows and untouched sheets a constant reminder of the void in her life.
She had made peace with it-or so she thought.
But one rainy morning, Ellie woke to find she wasn't alone.
At first, she thought it was a dream, her groggy mind struggling to make sense of the broad shoulders and tousled dark hair half-buried in her pillow. His presence was disorienting, but familiar in a way that sent a chill down her spine. She should have screamed, called for help-but something stopped her.
She knew him.
No, not
knew
. She remembered him.
The stranger in her bed was Daniel Reed, the man who had vanished from her life without a trace five years ago. Her first love, her biggest heartbreak-the one she had sworn she'd never forgive. Yet here he was, lying in her bed as if nothing had changed. As if the years between them had been nothing more than a bad dream.
When he finally opened his eyes, there was no apology, no explanation-just a half-smile that sent Ellie spiraling between rage and confusion. "Morning," he said, as casually as if they'd woken up like this every day.
But nothing about this was casual.
What was he doing here? How had he gotten in? And why did she feel the overwhelming pull of emotions she thought she'd buried long ago?
As Daniel's presence begins to unravel Ellie's carefully constructed life, she is forced to confront the past she's been running from and the secrets he's been hiding. Every question leads to another mystery, every answer drawing her closer to the truth about why he disappeared-and why he's back now.
But the closer Ellie gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes. Because some secrets don't just haunt-they destroy.
And as much as she wants him out of her life, Ellie can't deny one thing:
The man in her bed might just be the one thing she can't let go of.