The steady rhythm of the rain accompanied Emily as she stood motionless by the window, her phone still clutched in her hand. Drops trickled down the glass, mirroring the tears she refused to let fall. Ryan's voice echoed in her mind, steady, unwavering, and just like it used to be before everything fell apart.
She knew calling him was a risk. The kind of risk that meant reopening wounds that had barely scabbed over, wounds that could tear wide open again. But something in her heart whispered that Ryan was the only person who could make sense of the chaos swirling around her. If anyone had answers, it was him.
The porch light flickered outside, casting a dim glow over the drenched street. She wrapped her arms around herself, warding off a chill that had nothing to do with the cold night air. As much as she wanted to cling to the quiet life she had built in Sea Haven, it felt like everything was slipping through her fingers.
She closed her eyes, and the past came rushing back uninvited memories of Ryan laughing with her over coffee, the way his eyes softened when they danced under the stars, the warmth of his arms when he whispered promises of forever. Those moments felt like distant dreams now, cruelly replaced by the sting of betrayal and the sight of him walking away from her on their wedding day.
Her mind drifted to the happy times before everything shattered. She saw them on the yacht in Santorini, the sun casting a golden sheen over the water, Ryan's fingers threading through her hair as he kissed her under the warm Mediterranean breeze. It had been perfect. They had been perfect or so she thought. But happiness, it seemed, had been a fleeting illusion, as fragile as glass waiting to be shattered.
---
Six Years Ago – Flashback
"Hold still," Ryan murmured, his hand steady as he pinned a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. His touch was gentle, and for a moment, Emily forgot how to breathe.
They stood on the edge of the boat, the sea stretching endlessly around them. Emily leaned against him, feeling safe and whole, as if nothing in the world could touch them here.
"You know," Ryan said, a rare smile curving his lips, "I could get used to this."
"Yachts?" she teased, poking his ribs. "You mean you aren't used to luxury already?"
Ryan chuckled a deep, genuine sound she hadn't heard in a while. "No. I meant this. Us. Just... being."
Emily smiled, nestling closer into him. "Me too."
In that moment, she believed every word, believed that what they had would last forever. But forever had been much shorter than she imagined.
---
The blaring sound of a car horn yanked Emily from the past, her heart leaping in her chest. She backed away from the window, her pulse quickening.
Another car engine hummed outside, then stopped. Emily's breath hitched as headlights cut through the rain, washing over the driveway. The sleek black car was unmistakable, Ryan Steele had arrived.
Her hands trembled as she smoothed down her sweater, anxiety and anticipation churning in her stomach. She was not the same woman he left six years ago. This time, she would not be easily broken.
---
Ryan stepped out of the car, rain dripping from the edges of his dark coat. His sharp, chiseled features were partially obscured by the shadow of the hood he pulled over his head. Even after all these years, his presence was magnetic, tall, powerful, and utterly unreadable.
For a brief second, Ryan stood still, his gaze locked on her front door. Emily felt it, like a tangible weight pressing down on her heart. She knew what that look meant. It was the same one he had worn on their wedding day before he left her standing at the altar. Regret. Apology. And something far more dangerous, hope.
She swallowed hard as he approached the door. Before he could knock, she pulled it open.
"Emily," Ryan greeted softly, rainwater clinging to his hair and eyelashes. His voice was low, intimate, as if no time had passed between them.
"Ryan." She tried to keep her tone steady, but her voice betrayed her wary and vulnerable.
They stood there for a moment, the only sound between them the patter of rain against the pavement. Ryan's gaze swept over her, and she could feel the weight of his unspoken thoughts.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
She hesitated, her fingers tightening around the doorframe. Every instinct told her to slam the door shut and run. But there was something in his eyes, something raw and unguarded, that made her step back and let him inside.
---
The warmth of the house was a stark contrast to the chill outside, but the tension between them made the air heavy. Ryan shrugged off his coat, draping it over the arm of a chair. He glanced around her living room, small, cozy, and a world away from the opulence he was used to.
"This place suits you," he said quietly.
Emily crossed her arms. "It's home."
Ryan gave a small nod, as if the simplicity of her life made sense to him in a way it never had before. "I owe you an explanation," he began, his voice laced with regret.
Emily cut him off with a sharp look. "You don't owe me anything, Ryan."
"Yes, I do," he insisted. "I owe you the truth."
She folded her arms tighter across her chest, trying to brace herself for the storm she knew was coming. "Then tell me."
Ryan's jaw tensed. "That day... I didn't leave because I wanted to. I left because I had to. Someone was threatening me and you."
Emily's heart clenched, the wound she thought had healed tearing open once more. "You left me to protect me?" she repeated bitterly.
"Yes," Ryan said, his voice steady but filled with pain. "If I had stayed, you would have been in danger. I couldn't risk that."
Her eyes burned with unshed tears. "And instead, you let me believe I wasn't worth staying for. Do you have any idea what that did to me?"
Ryan stepped closer, but Emily held up a hand to stop him. "You broke me, Ryan. You didn't just leave me at the altar—you shattered everything I believed in."
He exhaled sharply, his expression a mixture of guilt and longing. "I know, Emily. I know I hurt you, and I'll never forgive myself for that. But I thought it was the only way to keep you safe."
Emily shook her head, her emotions a tangled mess. "You should have told me the truth back then. We could have faced it together."
"I was scared," Ryan admitted, his voice raw. "Scared of losing you, scared of making the wrong choice. And I did. I made the worst choice possible."
Silence settled between them, heavy and suffocating. Emily's mind raced, torn between the anger she had carried for six years and the flicker of hope she couldn't extinguish.
"Why are you here now, Ryan?" she asked quietly.
Ryan's gaze softened. "Because I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. I won't lose you again."
Emily's breath caught in her throat. The walls she had built around her heart began to crack, but she wasn't ready to let them crumble just yet.
"You think you can just come back into my life and expect me to forgive you?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Ryan shook his head. "No. I don't expect forgiveness, Emily. But I'll do whatever it takes to earn it."
Before Emily could respond, the shrill ring of her phone shattered the moment. She snatched it off the table, her heart racing when she saw the caller ID.
Lucas.
Her fingers hovered over the screen, dread coiling in her stomach.
"Who is it?" Ryan asked, his gaze narrowing.
Emily swallowed hard, forcing herself to answer the call.
"Lucas?" she said, her voice tense.
There was a pause on the other end, and then Lucas's smooth voice came through, laced with concern. "Emily, I need to see you. It's urgent."
Emily glanced at Ryan, her heart pounding in her chest. The trap was closing, and she was caught in the middle of it.
"I'll be there soon," she whispered into the phone, her mind racing.
As the call ended, Ryan's gaze darkened. "What does Lucas want?"
Emily shook her head, uncertainty clouding her thoughts. "I don't know. But I have a feeling it's not good."
Ryan's jaw clenched, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Whatever it is, you're not facing it alone."
For the first time in six years, Emily felt something she thought she had lost forever.
Hope.
And as Ryan's hand brushed against hers, a flicker of warmth ignited in her heart, a promise that, this time, they would face the storm together.
No more lies. No more betrayal.
This time, they would fight for each other.
And neither of them would back down.
---
Outside, hidden in the shadows, Lucas watched as the lights in Emily's house flickered off. A cold smile spread across his lips.
"Right where we want them," he murmured