"Declan…"
"No, let me finish." He takes a step closer. The intensity in his gaze steals my breath. "I love you, Ivy. Every part of you. You challenge me and see through my garbage. You’re stronger than you know."
Tears prick my eyes. I blink them back.
"You lied to me for weeks."
"I know."
"You watched me fall for King while pretending to be someone else."
"I know."
"You made me doubt myself. My judgment. My worth."
His jaw clenches. "I know. And I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you if you let me. But I understand if you can't, if you need to walk away."
The forest whispers around us, birds calling to each other in the canopy above. The air smells of pine and earth.
"I'm testifying at your hearing," I say finally.
His eyes widen, but he stays quiet.
"I spoke to your lawyer yesterday. Patricia Ammon is brilliant, by the way. Very thorough." I smooth my hands over my jeans, needing something to do with them. "I'm providing testimony about Gregory's manipulation. You're not facing this alone."
"Ivy, you don't have to."
I meet his gaze head-on.
"Yes, I do. Because despite everything, you protected me. And I’ve chosen you…" My voice cracks, my words trailing off.
The sound he makes is broken, raw. He moves closer and reaches for me, then stops, his hand hovering in the air between us.
"Can I touch you?" His voice is barely a whisper.
I close the distance between us.
His arms wrap around me immediately, crushing me against his chest. I bury my face in his neck and breathe him in, cologneand soap and that musky Declan scent. His heart pounds against mine, frantic and alive.
"I'm sorry," he whispers into my hair. "I'm so sorry."
"I know." My fingers curl into his shirt. "Don't ever lie to me again."
"Never."
"Don't manipulate me."
"Never."
"Don't abandon me when things get hard."
His arms tighten until I can barely breathe.
"Never. I swear it."
I pull back just enough to look at him. His green eyes are wet, vulnerable in a way I've never seen.
"I forgive you," I breathe.
