FOURTY NINE

Michael's POV:

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Ruth walk into the coffee shop. I had been searching for her everywhere, and finally, I had found her. I could feel my heart racing with excitement and anger. Why was she avoiding me? Didn't she know how much I loved her?

As I approached her, I could see the fear in her eyes. She knew I wasn't going to give up on her. I needed to talk to her, to make her understand that I wasn't going to let her go without a fight.

"Ruth, we need to talk," I said, my voice low and commanding. I could see her friends watching us, but I didn't care. This was between Ruth and me.

She sighed and followed me out of the coffee shop. I could feel her hesitation, but I knew she needed to hear what I had to say.

"Ruth, why are you avoiding me?" I asked, my voice firm but gentle. "We need to talk about ourselves, about what happened. I know I made mistakes, but I love you. I want to make it right."

Ruth looked at me, her eyes searching. I could see the uncert