AMARA
It had been three long days since the incident, and not once had I seen or heard from Xander. No calls. No messages. Nothing.
A part of me wanted to feel at peace with that. After all, hadn’t I always wished for him to leave? For him to walk away and stay gone? That’s what I told myself for weeks—that I’d be better off without him.
And yet… there was this small, stubborn ache inside me. A quiet sadness that curled around my chest every time I glanced at my phone or heard footsteps outside my window. As much as I tried to ignore it, part of me had hoped he would come back. Just once. Just to say goodbye.
“I can help,” a voice said gently, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I blinked, returning to the present. My eyes shifted away from the man across the street—he had Xander’s build,
