A small scar, just behind her ear. Barely there— but once noticed, impossible to unsee. That’s where he hit her.
My throat tightens, rage and sorrow crashing into each other like waves. I bend down and press the lightest kiss to that spot. As if I could take the pain from her. As if my love could erase it.
I breathe her in. Her scent. Her warmth. Her existence.
I tighten my hold around her. Not too much—but enough. Enough for her to feel it, even in sleep. To know I’m here. That I’m not leaving. Not now. Not ever.
Five years ago, I failed her.
Life, God, the Universe—whoever is in charge of this story we’re living—brought us back together. And this time, I won’t waste the chance. I’ll give her everything I didn’t before—My presence. My protection. My love. Myself.
She won’t face the darkness alone anymore. Not the ghosts. Not the scars. I’ll be there—through every shadow.
She’ll never carry the weight by herself again. Never be alone in her pain. Not while I’m breathing. Not while there’s a single beat left in my heart to give her.
I’ll be the arms that hold her steady when the past creeps in. The voice that reminds her she’s not broken.
She’s Della. Mine. The woman who survived the worst kind of night—and still shines in the dark.
I press another kiss to her hair.
A silent vow.
From now on, every step she takes, I’ll walk beside her.
I’ll build a life around her laughter, if she lets me.
And if it takes the rest of my life to earn her forgiveness—then so be it.
Because this love never faded.
It just waited.
And now that I have her in my arms again…
I’ll never let her go.
* * *
Della
I wake up in his arms.
His warmth surrounds me like a memory I never dared to hold onto. The slow rhythm of his breath touches the back of my neck—steady and grounding—like waves reaching a shore that’s almost forgotten what stillness feels like.
For a moment, I don’t move. Don’t breathe. Just feel.
The weight of his arm draped across my waist. The curve of his body moulded perfectly to mine. The soft rise and fall of his chest, anchoring me.
His presence—undeniable. Solid. Here.
But even in this stillness, something stirs.
A flicker. A shadow.
Because he’s here now. But hewasn’t then.
He promised he’d come for me. And he didn’t.
