The coffee went cold in Elira’s hands.
She sat on the terrace alone, the sea quiet beneath her. Dawn painted the sky in soft hues, but there was no peace in her chest. Only heat. Confusion. Ache.
The door creaked behind her.
Soren.
She didn’t turn.
“I made your favorite,” he said, placing a second mug beside hers. “The cinnamon blend. From the cabin.”
That cabin. That memory. That version of them.
Elira whispered, “You shouldn’t be kind to me right now.”
Soren moved to sit across from her. “Why? Because you touched a man you still love?”
Her eyes snapped to his. “Because I hurt you.”
Soren didn’t flinch. “You’re not cruel, Elira. You’re just in love with two different lives.”
Her breath caught. “That’s not fair.”
“No,” he agreed, “but it’s true.”
She looked away, the breeze st
