Ivy closed her eyes, remembering the happiness she had felt with him. The effortless conversations, the stolen smiles, the way his presence had made her feel lighter, freer—something she hadn't felt in a long time.
She thought about how he had protected her, how he had been willing to take a step back simply because she had asked him to.
And then there was his pain. She had seen it. She had felt it. The betrayal he carried from the very people he had trusted—his own sister and best friend.
That kind of wound didn't heal easily, and yet, he had still found the strength to come to her, to acknowledge his wrongs, to ask for nothing but a chance to be heard.
Ivy swallowed hard, gripping the armrest of her chair. Maybe… maybe it was time to stop punishing him.
Maybe it was time to stop punishing herself.
He had said every emotion he had shown was real. And despite everything, a part of her wanted to believe him.
No—she did believe him.
