Cole’s POV
She didn't say anything and remained silent, her eyes locked on the floor like she was afraid to meet my gaze. The room felt smaller, her scent wrapping around me like a drug I couldn't shake.
I asked her again, tilting her chin up with my fingers, forcing those eyes to mine. "Do you love me, Esme?" My voice came out rougher than I intended, laced with the raw edge of everything I'd been holding back.
And that was when she spoke, her words hitting like a punch to the gut. "I did."
I furrowed my brows, confusion mixing with a spark of anger. "You did? What does that even mean?"
She pulled her chin free, her expression hardening despite the tears still glistening on her lashes. "What it means is that I cannot love a man like you. A man who pretends to lose his memory to hurt
