JULIA
I stood frozen in place, a thousand thoughts running through my head but none sharp enough to form an escape plan. I could feel my heart hammering against my chest, and for a moment, I thought about turning around and running.
But I didn’t.
I couldn’t.
Instead, I just stood there, watching him walk toward me with the kind of steadiness that always threw me off balance.
Evan.
His name echoed in my mind like a long-forgotten melody. And when he was close enough, he reached out and grabbed my wrist. The warmth of his touch jolted through me, spreading to my chest, and for a second, I thought my knees might give out.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his eyes filled with rage.
I swallowed hard, trying to regain some composure, but his eyes—those dark, piercing eyes that always
