From heartbreak to healing, a story of love, loss, and the courage to try again.

When Cameron Bridge asked me to marry him, every part of me wanted to say yes. But my future wasn’t mine to give. My family was falling apart, and I was the one holding it together. I couldn’t bring him into that chaos…couldn’t tether him to a future where he’d have to carry my burdens.

I thought walking away would give him a better life, but it destroyed us both.

Years passed, and I tried to move forward. I built a life that looks polished from the outside. But the days are hollow, and I spend my nights drowning out the regret any way I can. It’s the only guarantee I won’t let anyone else get too close again. The truth is no one can ever take his place, and I’ve made sure no one will even try.

But then, life—or maybe fate—brings Cameron back into my world. In the middle of New York City, where hopes and shadows collide, he’s there—older, stronger, and carrying his own scars now. He looks at me like he’s still searching for the girl I used to be, and every time we touch, I wonder if she’s still in here somewhere, buried with everything I thought we left behind.