Her fingers hovered over the reply. Part of her wanted to delete it, pretend it never came. But another part — the part still tethered to all the what-ifs — wouldn't let her.
She replied simply:
"Where?"
A few minutes later, another message popped up.
"The place by the cliffs. Sunset."
She knew exactly where he meant. That hidden spot above the waves, where the sky kissed the sea and the world stood still. They'd been there once — laughing, sharing secrets, before everything unraveled.
—
Later That Evening
Alice walked slowly toward the cliffside, wind brushing through her hair. The sun was dipping low, casting orange and gold across the sky. And there he was — Damien, standing with his hands in his pockets, staring into the horizon.
He turned as she approached. His face was unreadable.
"Alice," he said, his voice soft.
She didn't speak at first. Just stood beside him, both of them silent, letting the crashing waves below fill the space between their words.
Finally, she asked, "Why now?"
He hesitated. "Because… I don't want to lie anymore."
She looked at him, her eyes sharp. "About Emily?"
He nodded. "And about you. About what I felt. What I still feel."
The air between them grew heavy.
"You saw someone else in me," she said, pain lacing her voice. "And you still kept me close."
"I saw Emily at first," he admitted. "But I stayed… because I saw you. And that scared me even more."
Tears welled up in Alice's eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. "Damien… we're broken pieces trying to fit. I don't know if we ever truly belonged."
He stepped closer. "Then let me show you. Or… let me go, if that's what you need."
She looked at him, torn between the old ache and the flicker of something that might still be real.