Lily wiped at her eyes, the tears falling faster than she could stop them. James stood in front of her, vulnerable and raw, his plea hanging in the air.
"Prove it," she whispered. "If you want me to believe you, show me the truth. No more secrets. No more lies."
James nodded, relief softening his tense features. "I will. Starting now."
He gestured toward the couch, and they sat down, their knees barely touching. James took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts.
"My ex, Amanda, reached out a few months ago. She said she was in trouble—financially, emotionally, everything. I didn't want to get involved, but she's... persistent. She kept showing up at my office, calling at odd hours, and I didn't know how to make her stop without things escalating."
Lily frowned. "Why not just tell her you're done? Block her number?"
"It's not that simple," James said, his voice laced with frustration. "She knows things about me—things that could ruin my reputation, my career. She's been using that to manipulate me."
Lily's stomach sank. "What kind of things?"
James hesitated, his jaw tightening. "Before I met you, I wasn't... proud of the person I was. I made mistakes—big ones. Amanda knows about them, and she's not afraid to use them against me. She threatened to send that photo to you, and I guess she followed through."
The weight of his confession settled between them. Lily wanted to believe him, but the betrayal still stung.
"Why didn't you just tell me this before?" she asked.
"I didn't want you to see me the way she does," James admitted. "As someone weak. Someone who made bad choices."
Lily's heart ached at his vulnerability, but the cracks in her trust were still there. "If you want me to stay, you need to let me in, James. All the way. No more half-truths."
He nodded, reaching for her hand. "I'll do whatever it takes."
For the first time in days, Lily felt a glimmer of hope. But she also knew that rebuilding trust would be harder than either of them realized