CHAPTER 4

“Oh, God… It’s so good to see you…” she whispered in a shaky voice, near his ear, while Fabien was still holding her. “I’ve missed this so much.”

Blaze pushed herself away from Fabien’s embrace and brushed the tears from the corners of her eyes. He appeared utterly blown away to see her. She suddenly realized how stupid she must seem, arriving on his doorstep unannounced and crying all over him.

She was feeling kind of blown away herself. It had been eight years since she’d last seen his face, and Blaze was surprised at how much… older and grown-up he seemed.

Fabien was thirty-one now, of course. No longer as young as she recalled him. Blaze hadn’t expected him to remain untouched by time, but the reality of him was astonishing. He almost looked like a stranger, with new lines around his mouth and eyes.

His formerly long, tousled hair was cut short in a utilitarian buzz cut. His body was different, too. As a dancer, Fabien had been all