Clay Beresford had always believed in love. In trust. In the idea that some people were meant to be in your life forever.

Sam had shattered that belief.

Her betrayal had nearly cost him everything—his heart, his life, his faith in others. But what hurt the most wasn’t losing her. It was realizing that all along, the one person who truly mattered had been right beside him.

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His childhood friend. The girl who had always understood him, even when he didn’t understand himself. The woman who had saved him—not just from Samantha’s lies, but from the darkness that followed.

Now, she stood in front of him, arms crossed, watching him with that patient intensity that made his chest ache.

“You’re staring again, Beresford,” she teased, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Something on your mind?”

Everything. Her.

Instead of answering, Clay stepped forward, closing the space between them. His fingers brushed against her wrist before sliding up to cup her face, his thumb tracing the soft curve of her cheek.

“I was an idiot,” he murmured. “For not seeing it sooner. For not seeing you.”