pte

of the years that had passed since they last spoke, the tension between them thick enough to slice through. The

ness she felt. He had been part of her life once, an unexpected twist that nei

Kay," he started, his voice strained. "You wanted to get married. I was drunk and-

napped. There was a bitter edge to her words, but it was true. He had been drunk, but not so much that the memory didn't

what happened that night, not without telling you everything I felt for you back then," he said quietly, his voice almost cracking. He looked away fo

She couldn't afford to be weak now. Not in front of him. Not when everyt

oice steady but cold. "Why didn't you stop it? You

hat do you want, Summers?" he asked, the frustr

this moment, for the chance to say what had been bottled up inside her for all

of it, the finality of it, but it was the only thing that made sense. There was no other way forwar

he didn't speak. The silence between them was suffocating, thick with the we

ed, shaking his head. "You're really goin

hing away. She was choosing herself, choosing her freedom. She was tired of being bound to a past sh

omewhere deep down, she hadn't wanted to. She had been too afraid to let go, to face the reality of what had happened. And maybe, just maybe, there

. Not with him. Not in this twiste

hick with something she couldn't quite place. "You

weakness now. "Yes. After all this time," she replied, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. "Because I can't keep living like

wer that wasn't there. He was still the same Daniel she remembered-the one who made her heart race with just a look, the one wh

uieter this time. "Why do you want

t to be part of your world anymore, Daniel. I can't keep living in the

The silence stretched between them, thic

closer, his presence overwhelming as always. B

e stopped it. I should have never let you walk away without an explanation.

ts, her nails digging into her palms as she tried to ignore the pull he still had on her. She could feel the heat of his body close to hers, the

red, and I was left here, alone. You didn't give me the chance to explain, to tell you th

her composure. "Yes," she said, the word com

searching hers. Then, with a soft exhale, he

signed. "But don't think this

there, alone once more. She didn't know what the future held, but for the first tim