Chapter 69

• ZARA POV
• "Hero," I began softly, my voice close to his ear, "you truly believe that after everything I've endured here, things can simply return to how they were before? I'm sorry, but that's utter nonsense. There's no way we can pretend this never happened. This mountain, these hurtful shared experiences you put me through... they've changed me. I can't unsee what I've seen and heard, or unfeel what I've felt. I’m different now, Hero, irrevocably different.”
• "I understand that I made a big mistake. I know how badly I treated you before, and I'm truly sorry for it. That was incredibly foolish of me. But please believe me, Zara. I meant every word I said last night. We can move past this and start fresh. I'm ready to move forward and try again.”