A year.

Three hundred and sixty-five days since you walked away from him. From the only man who ever made your heart race and your world tremble. You loved him — God, you did — but love alone wasn’t enough to silence the warnings in your head, to ignore the darkness woven into his life.

So you made the hardest decision of all. You left.

And now, here you are — exhausted from a long shift, keys jingling in your grip as you push open your front door, ready to collapse into solitude.

But instead, you freeze.

Because sitting there, sprawled out on your couch like he owns the place, is the one person you swore you’d never see again.

Sawyer.

Dark eyes gleaming under the dim lighting, lips curled into that same wicked smirk that used to steal your breath. He leans back, legs spread, confidence oozing from every inch of his posture.

"Long time no see, love."

His voice is smooth, teasing, dripping with something dangerously familiar.

And just like that — your heart betrays you all over again.