Chapter 129 —He wasn't looking for pleasure, he was looking for certainty, refuge, truth

Narrator:

Aylin didn't know how long they sat in the hallway. She only remembered Roman's weight against her body, his ragged breathing, his wet tears soaking her shirt. At some point, he stopped talking and just breathed, just trembled.

When she felt the crying begin to subside, with the delicacy of someone moving an injured person, Aylin took his face in her hands, looked him in the eyes, and caressed his wet cheeks. Roman didn't resist. He didn't have the strength. He nodded silently when she asked him to stand up. He let himself be led like a lost child. They walked together to the bedroom. There were no words.

Aylin made him sit on the edge of the bed. She took off his jacket, then his shoes, then his shirt. She undressed him without haste, with no other intention than to strip him of the weight that enveloped him. He did not protest. He just looked at her with empty, defeated eyes. As if he d