Logan had always known that fire could forge something strong, but it could also destroy.
The days after Emilia asked for space were some of the longest he had ever endured. The workshop felt hollow without her, even when he tried to lose himself in his work. The forge roared, the hammer struck, and the steel bent beneath his hands—but nothing felt the same.
She hadn't disappeared completely. They still texted occasionally, but it was different. Short. Hesitant. Like two people walking across thin ice, afraid of making the wrong step.
Then, one evening, she appeared in the workshop again.
Logan was at his workbench when he heard the door creak open. He turned, half-expecting a customer, but it was her.
His breath caught. She looked different. Tired. Conflicted. But still breathtaking.
"Hey," she said softly, offering a small, uncertain smile.
Logan set down his tools, wiping his hands on a rag. "Hey."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words.
"I needed to see you," Emilia finally admitted, stepping closer. "I—I've been thinking a lot."
Logan crossed his arms, his chest tightening. "About us?"
She nodded. "About everything. And about how I might've overreacted."
Logan exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm. "You were honest with me. I told you I'd give you time."
"I know," she murmured. "And that meant everything. But… I think I mistook fear for logic. I told myself I needed space because I was scared of what this could be."
His jaw clenched slightly. "And now?"
Emilia's gaze locked onto his, her voice soft but certain. "And now I don't want to run from this. I don't want to run from you."
The words hit him like a hammer to the chest. He had prepared himself for anything—except for that.
Logan took a slow step forward. "Are you sure?"
Emilia nodded, her eyes searching his. "Yes. I don't have all the answers, but I know one thing—I want to be with you."
The air between them sizzled with tension, but this time, it wasn't uncertainty—it was something more powerful.
Logan reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Then stay."
Emilia let out a shaky breath before closing the distance between them. When their lips met, it wasn't rushed. It wasn't desperate. It was steady, strong—like tempered steel.
For the first time in a long time, Logan felt like something in his life finally fit.
And this time, he wasn't going to let it go.