He heard her before he saw her, the unmistakable foot falls that slipped along his hardwood floor. The news flashed on the television, but Roland was scarcely paying attention to it. He turned his gaze to Meetra, pupils dilating as he took in the way her body curved underneath the sheer material of her nightgown.
Silently, he stretched his hand toward her. He felt it, too, that certain and sudden freedom that was decidedly both relieving and disappointing all at once.