They reached Emma’s room—her old bedroom, where dreams of the future used to feel so big, so bright. The bed sat untouched, just as she'd left it, the comforter still the same one she’d had in high school. It smelled faintly of lavender, the kind of scent that made her chest ache with nostalgia and comfort all at once.
Alex stopped at the edge of the bed, his eyes flicking toward hers for a brief second before dropping to the bedspread. The expression on his face had softened. Not the easy smirk she was used to, or the playful teasing. This was something deeper, something almost... vulnerable.
"Emma..." His voice was low, quieter than usual, and it made her stomach flip.
He didn’t need to say more. The weight of everything unsaid hung between them.
For once, Alex wasn’t his usual confi
