Lyra's POVI stood frozen, my heart pounding in my chest as James’s words echoed in my ears.“Miss you?”I blinked, unsure if I’d heard him right. His voice, that smirk on his face, everything about this moment felt surreal. After all these years, James, the man who had once shattered my heart, was standing in front of me like a ghost from my past.“Who the hell is this?” Kurtis’s voice cut through the tension like a knife, his grip on my waist tightening. His protective tone sent a shiver down my spine, but I couldn’t focus. My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of what was happening.James took a step closer, his gaze locked on mine, completely ignoring Kurtis. “You didn’t answer me, baby boo. Did you miss me?”I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “What are you doing here, James?”He shrugged casually, as if this was no big deal. “What? I can’t visit an old flame? It’s been a while, Lyra. Thought we could catch up.”James smirked as he stepped closer, his confidence oozing
Lyra’s POVI stood there in the street, heart pounding, watching as Kurtis walked away from me. His retreating figure felt like a final, heartbreaking blow. The night air was cold, but it was nothing compared to the ice building in my chest. I couldn’t believe this was happening, that everything had crumbled in a matter of minutes because of “him”James.I turned slowly, forcing myself to face the man who had once been my world, the man who had somehow found a way to break me, piece by piece. He stood there, leaning against the railing with that same smug look on his face. “I didn’t do anything wrong, Lyra,” he said, his voice full of fake innocence. “You’re the one who didn’t tell him the truth.”“The truth?” I shot back, my voice cracking with emotion. “The truth is, I left you behind a long time ago, James. What we had? It’s over. You don’t belong in my life anymore.”James’s smile faltered for a second, but then he regained his composure, stepping closer to me. “Come on, Lyra. Y
Kurtis’s POVI couldn’t believe what I’d just seen. James, baby boo, the audacity of it. My blood boiled as the image replayed in my head, Lyra standing there, looking torn, while that smug asshole casually called her a name only I should be using. The way he looked at her, the way she didn’t immediately push him away, it cut deeper than I wanted to admit.I needed air, space, anything but being near her right now.I walked down the dimly lit street, my fists clenched so tight I could feel my nails digging into my palms. How could she keep something like this from me? First, it was pretending to be Angela when we met, and I’d forgiven that because I fell for *her*, not the mask. But now? Now there was this guy, James, throwing around pet names like they meant something. What else had she been hiding from me?The cold wind slapped my face, but it couldn’t cool the fire burning in my chest. I felt stupid, like a fool for trusting her so blindly. I thought I knew her, thought we were sol
Lyra's POVI stared at the door for what felt like hours after Kurtis walked out. The room was cold and empty, and I couldn’t stop trembling. My heart had shattered the moment he said he needed time. The look on his face, the anger, the hurt… it tore me apart inside.How did everything go so wrong?The bed felt like a prison, holding me in place, suffocating me with thoughts of Kurtis. I knew I’d messed up, and now I was paying the price. I’d tried calling him over and over again, but every time, I was met with silence. Not even a message, nothing. He didn’t want to hear from me. That stung more than anything.“Why did James have to show up like that?”My hands clenched the pillow tighter as I thought about it. I hadn’t seen James in forever, and the last thing I expected was for him to show up in the middle of our getaway, acting like he had a right to disrupt my life.And Kurtis… seeing his face twisted with jealousy and anger, it was too much. I wanted to scream, to cry, to do anyt
Kurtis' POVI sat alone in the hotel bar, nursing my drink, staring at the door as if expecting Lyra to walk in and explain everything. My chest felt tight, anger still bubbling beneath the surface, but confusion was starting to take over. I needed answers. I needed to know the truth about James. Why was he here? Why did Lyra look so shaken when she saw him? And why the hell hadn’t she told me anything?The ringing of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen and saw Angela’s name. What could she want? I hesitated for a moment before answering.“Angela?” I said, my voice gruff.“Kurtis! Hey, how’s the trip going? Are you and Lyra having a good time?” Her voice was light, almost too sweet, like she didn’t know I was on the verge of losing my mind.I clenched my jaw. “You could say that. Until James showed up.”The line went silent for a moment. “James?” she finally asked, her tone sounding surprised, but something about it felt off. “What’s he doing there?”“That’
Kurtis POV I slammed the door behind me, the sound echoing through the quiet night air. My chest was tight, heart pounding like a drum in my ears. The house felt too small, too suffocating. I needed to breathe. I needed to think. But all I could think about was Lyra, standing there with tears in her eyes, swearing up and down that she hadn’t cheated on me. Swearing that she loved me. Yet, Angela’s voice kept playing in my head like a broken record: “She’s been seeing James. They’ve been in love for a while.”I climbed into my car and punched the steering wheel. Hard. The pain shot up my arm, but it barely registered. I was too angry, too confused. Lyra said she loved me, but why hadn’t she told me about James? Why did she let me find out this way, through Angela of all people? The thought of Angela made me frown. I trusted her, or at least I thought I did. But something didn’t sit right about the way she’d told me everything. Like she wanted me to believe the worst.I pulled my p
Kurtis POVI stood there, staring at Lyra as she tried to gather herself. My mind was a mess. Every part of me was torn between wanting to believe her and the poison that Angela had planted in my head.She took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on mine, and began speaking. "Kurtis, I dated James before I ever met you. It was before we even crossed paths, back when I was still struggling to figure myself out." Her voice trembled as she spoke, but I didn’t let her words sink in too quickly.I crossed my arms, forcing myself to keep a distance, both physically and emotionally. "And you never thought to tell me this before?" I could feel the anger rising again, but I fought to keep my voice calm. Lyra looked away, swallowing hard. "I wanted to forget about him. I didn’t think he mattered anymore."I stepped closer, my eyes narrowing. "He didn’t matter? Then why was Angela so sure that you two were still in love? What the hell are you hiding, Lyra?"Her gaze shot up, panic flashing across her
KurtisI stood by the window, watching the waves crash against the shore. The same waves that had once made this trip feel like a dream were now just noise to me. Everything felt tainted now, ruined.Lyra was sitting on the edge of the bed, eyes puffy from crying all night. I hadn't been able to sleep either, but I was too pissed to care. The anger burned through every other emotion I could have felt."I booked our flight back for tomorrow," I said, my voice cold.Lyra's head snapped up, her voice barely a whisper. "Tomorrow? But... we were supposed to stay for a few more days.""Well, that’s off the table now, isn't it?" I turned around, my arms crossed. "This trip is ruined. There’s no point in dragging it out."Her face crumpled as she stood up, closing the distance between us. "Kurtis, please, don't do this. Don’t let Angela tear us apart.""Angela isn't tearing us apart, Lyra. You did that all by yourself," I spat, my voice harsh. "She just lit the match."Lyra shook her head fur