Chapter 69

• Alex was silent for a while, his fork still in his hand but forgotten. His eyes locked with hers, deep and serious. Then he spoke, his voice low and sure, “I want you.”
• Melanie’s heart skipped but she kept her face calm. She lifted her chin slightly, refusing to show the emotions stirring inside her. “You had me before, Alex. And you sent me away,” she said, her tone sharp but even. “So tell me, what changed?”
• Alex leaned forward, his elbows resting lightly on the table, his gaze never leaving her. “Letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life,” he said softly. “And I realized it a long time ago. I only wish I had been able to find you sooner. Maybe then... maybe I could have made things right.”