River
Ayla finally looked at me. Just one second, but it was enough to put a crack of light back into the wreckage inside my chest. That tiny glance told me her emotions had cooled down a little. Still cold, sure… but not as sharp as yesterday.
I wanted to step closer and take her hand, to make sure she was really right here in front of me and not some hallucination that would disappear the moment I blinked. But I held myself back.
I’d thought about this moment too much—confessing, apologizing, hoping she’d give me one more chance. I wasn’t going to ruin it by acting impulsively.
“You want me to explain everything,” I said quietly, “or do you want to ask me yourself?”
Her brows pulled together. She inhaled slowly, then finally asked, “Is that photo exactly what I think it is?”
“For G
