### Ava The events of a few days ago still churned in my mind like a storm at sea. Rowan’s actions had left me shaken, and I couldn’t help but ponder his motives. What on earth had possessed him? Was he sabotaging his relationship with Emma? Or perhaps he wished to draw me into a scandal that could ruin me in her eyes? Emma already believed I was a threat—a rival intent on stealing her man. If only she knew that all I craved was peace. I didn’t want Rowan back. I had weathered that storm and emerged battered and wiser. “Are you really sure about that?” came an irritating little voice from the back of my mind. “You can’t pretend you didn’t enjoy the kiss. After all, it’s the kind of kiss you’ve always dreamed about—full of desire and fervor.” I shook my head vigorously as if dislodging the intrusive thought. That was wrong. I had painstakingly resolved to move on from Rowan and carve out a life enriched with love of my own. Just because my body momentarily betrayed me didn’t change anything. My reaction had been instinctive—purely biological. There was nothing beyond that. “Keep lying to yourself,” the voice retorted with a mocking tone. I shook it off. I wasn’t lying to myself. Or perhaps I was. But the bottom line remained: I refused to overanalyze Rowan's inexplicable behavior or replay that unexpected kiss in my memory. With a deep breath, I pushed all thoughts of Rowan into the farthest corners of my mind and centered my focus on the door of the coffee shop. It was five o'clock, and I had just clocked out of work. Letty and I had arranged to meet before heading home. As I tasted the sweetness of my cake, the door swung open, and Letty strode in, her gaze scanning the room until it landed on me. A beam of joy spread across her face as she rushed over. “I’m so sorry for being late! We had a last-minute office meeting,” she exclaimed as she plopped down in front of me. I grinned back, comforted by her presence. “No worries at all.” “I see you’ve ordered already,” she remarked, eyeing my treat with a hint of envy. “I missed lunch, so I needed a little pick-me-up.” She nodded, then placed her own order. Once her coffee was on the way, she focused intently on me. “So, tell me all about your date with Ethan.” Letty had quickly become my confidante—and my anchor in this tumultuous sea of emotions. I never realized how desperately I needed a friend like her, especially after the tumult of my high school obsession with Rowan. “It went really well,” I replied, a flutter of shyness creeping into my voice. Her face lit up, and she leaned in closer, excitement radiating from her. “Tell me everything!” I took a deep breath, setting the stage. “Well, we had dinner at this fancy place, and then he took me out for ice cream. That was definitely the highlight of the night.” “Did he kiss you?” Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, as though she was waiting for the climax of a gripping drama. I chuckled, recognizing the single-minded focus of her question. “No, he didn’t. I could tell he wanted to, but he held back. I don’t know if I’m more disappointed or relieved.” “Why’s that?” “Part of me craved the kiss—to experience what it felt like to be wanted. Yet, another part was grateful it didn’t happen because I’m still sorting through my feelings. I’m not sure I'm ready for that kind of intimacy yet.” Letty fell silent, her gaze penetrating as she processed what I had shared. “You’re telling me that Rowan has never kissed you like that?” she asked, a frown creasing her lovely features. “He has, but it was never like it meant something. I witnessed the way he kissed Emma when we were younger—it was electric, filled with passion. He acted as if he could never get enough of her lips. I’ve never had that from him.” My voice trembled slightly as I forced myself to confront the truth I had bottled up for so long. I lowered my eyes, desperate to shield my shame from Letty. This was my first confession about the shattered fragments of my marriage. I had kept Rowan's betrayals locked away deep within, too afraid to show anyone how profoundly he had impacted my self-worth. “Last Friday, he kissed you like that,” my insistent inner voice reminded me. But that moment wasn’t real. It couldn’t possibly erase the countless times I longed for Rowan’s affection, only to be left with emptiness. It hurt more than anything to know that, to him, I was so undesirable that even our intimate moments were devoid of warmth. “You deserve to be kissed as if the world is ending,” Letty's gentle voice jolted me back to the present. Her hand grasped mine—a gesture of solidarity and understanding. I gazed into her eyes, relieved to find no pity there. That was the last thing I needed right now. “So, apart from that, everything else was perfect?” she queried, shifting the conversation away from the uncomfortable topic. “Not really. I did run into Rowan and Emma. They looked like they were on a date.” “Seriously?” Letty’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Yes,” I replied, taking a shaky sip of my drink, desperately trying to shake off the image of them together. Emma was correct; she and Rowan made sense. Everyone, myself included, began to see it now, and it stung. “Well, I hope he noticed how absolutely stunning you looked and realizes he let go of a true beauty,” she stated firmly, a fierce determination shining in her eyes. I couldn’t help but laugh. Letty had a knack for lifting my spirits. She truly bolstered my confidence. For once, I didn’t feel overshadowed by Emma’s beauty. At last, I had someone who wasn’t constantly comparing me to my sister, who didn’t dwell on her allure. “So that’s it? Nothing else exciting happened?” Letty asked, leaning forward in anticipation. I shook my head. “Nope, that’s all.” I hesitated, almost divulging Rowan’s unexpected visit to my home. But I stopped myself. I trusted Letty, no doubt about that. Yet sometimes, confidences slipped and found their way back to ears they shouldn’t. I couldn’t bear the thought of Emma discovering that Rowan had been to my house—or worse, that he had kissed me. The conversation returned to its easy flow, but I sensed something was troubling Letty. “Okay, what’s wrong?” I placed my glass and plate aside, refusing to let her hide behind silence. “It’s nothing,” she stammered, avoiding my gaze. “Spill it, Letty,” I pressed, my voice firm. A war raged within her; I could see it. I knew that whatever she said wouldn’t be pleasant. “It’s about Travis. He’s genuinely sorry,” she admitted, finally meeting my eyes. My heart sank, disappointment surged, and I cursed under my breath. I should have kept my mouth shut—minded my own business. “We’re not going to discuss this,” I gritted out, teeth clenched. Letty sighed, but her conviction remained. “Please, Ava. It’s eating him alive that you don’t want to speak to him. He’s hurting because he couldn’t be there for you.” “He’s hurting?” I couldn’t keep the incredulity from my voice. “Do you have any idea how many years I’ve suffered due to his actions? The things he’s said and done? He wants my forgiveness, yet he has never once absolved me for the pain I caused his precious sister! He told me I was dead to him—that he only cared about her. Do you have any idea how that felt to hear? To have him taunt me, telling me Rowan would never love me because Emma was his everything and I meant nothing?” I fought against the rising tide of emotion, struggle after struggle threatening to pull me back under. I was tired of my pain being buried beneath Travis's. How could he expect me to rise above my hurt and forgive him when he had brought me to my knees? “I’m done,” I declared, rising abruptly, gathering my bag with shaking hands, my resolve crumbling into bitterness. “If he could somehow undo the pain he caused me, then I might consider forgiveness. Until then, I have nothing more to say.” I saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes, but I turned away, leaving her behind as I strode out of the café. Hearing her call my name was like a distant echo as I made my escape. Hailing a cab, I climbed inside just as she emerged onto the street, refusing to meet her gaze as we pulled away. I fought against the tears that threatened to spill over. I wouldn’t allow myself to be weak again. The self-pitying chapter of my life was over. I was on the cusp of creating a new existence—one that revolved around my happiness. Back home, I paid the taxi driver, a wave of gratitude washing over me as I stepped into my sanctuary. But as I approached my door, a prickle danced down my spine. It felt as though eyes bore into me from somewhere beyond the veil of normalcy. I hesitated and turned, scanning the quiet street for anything out of place. I spotted a neighbor walking her dog several houses down, cars streamed past, and joggers moved along their paths, but still, a strange feeling of being watched lingered in the air. Shaking off the unease, I unlocked my door and stepped inside, yet the unsettling sensation of being observed clung to my back like a shadow.