Ivy
I didn’t expect him to come.
Even after I heard the wedding halt, even after the estate staff led me gently through the gardens and down to the lake, I couldn’t let myself believe.
Not yet.
So I waited.
Hands on my stomach. Heart in my throat. Mind already preparing for disappointment.
But then…
I heard him.
His footsteps were steady but slow, crunching softly over the gravel, then the old wooden dock. I didn’t turn until he stopped just beside the boat.
Damian.
His tie was gone. The collar of his white dress shirt was open, and his dark hair disheveled by the breeze. His eyes met mine — and for once, he didn’t look guarded.
He looked… free.
“I left her at the altar,” he said quietly.
I didn’t speak. I didn’t breathe.
“I waited for someone to stop me,” he added, stepping
