The kiss was neither fierce nor forceful, it was a culmination of years of longing, regret, and unspoken pain. For a fleeting moment, all the barriers I had built around my heart crumbled, and I allowed myself to feel. But as quickly as it had begun, reality crashed in. I pulled away sharply, tears streaming down my face.
“This....this has to stop,” I whispered, my voice breaking. I have to keep reminding myself and Lucas that I'm still in love with Ethan and nothing should change that. “Lucas, I can’t do this. I’m with Ethan. I love him.”
My words hung in the air, heavy and final, but Lucas’s eyes didn’t change. Instead, they filled with a mixture of sorrow and determination. “Then why do you still feel it, Ava?” he asked quietly, the question laden with years of regret.
I turned away
