VALERIE
Caleb and I stood in the dimly lit hallway, the air thick with tension and unresolved emotions. The hurt in his eyes, the anger, and the pain—it all broke my heart. I had wanted to explain, to make things right, but the weight of his betrayal and my own fears had made that almost impossible.
As I faced him, I felt a magnetic pull toward him, a longing that had only intensified during our time apart. I could see the conflict in his eyes, and I knew he was struggling to reconcile the love we once shared with the hurt he felt now. We were both raw, and vulnerable, and that vulnerability was turning into something else—something that felt as inevitable as it was overwhelming.
Without thinking, I reached out and gently cupped his face in my hands. His skin was warm, and the sligh
