(Isla’s POV)
Christmas had come and gone, leaving behind the remnants of joy and celebration. But for Isla, there was nothing but an empty feeling in its wake. She moved through her days, fulfilling her obligations as a mother, as a partner to Shane, but inside, she felt like a shell of herself.
She told herself she made the right choice—clean break, no more lingering feelings, no more complications. But if that were true, why did she feel this constant ache in her chest? Why did she crave something that was no longer hers?
The truth was, no one had ever touched her the way Marco had—not physically, not emotionally. Even with Shane, it was different. He was good to her, loving, stable. But that fire, that all-consuming connection? It had never been there, not like it had been with Marco
