Meryl's POV
"A-Andre?"
"Meryl."
That voice. The same deep, gravelly tone that used to whisper my name in the darkness. Hearing it now made every muscle in my body lock up tight. This had to be some cruel trick my mind was playing on me. But when I spun around and saw him there, tall and commanding as ever, the air rushed out of my lungs like I'd been punched.
I bolted.
My pulse hammered against my throat as my feet carried me away from him. I didn't give a damn how desperate I looked. All that mattered was putting distance between us. I couldn't handle seeing him. Not after everything. Not when I'd worked so hard to rebuild my shattered life.
The changing room door rattled as I slammed it shut, my fingers fumbling with the lock. My whole body was shaking like a leaf in a storm. The polyester uniform stuck to my damp skin, making it impossible to breathe normally.
Why was he here? How had he tracked me down after all this time?
This couldn't be happening. Not now.
