I thought I left my past behind—until Max returned, unstoppable and certain I was never meant for anyone else. Famous, fierce, and possessive, he’s determined to claim me again. But I’ve moved on with Sam, who loved me when I had no one and showed me what true love really is. Max believes I belong to him, and he’ll stop at nothing to prove it. Sam won’t back down either. He’s fought for me, and he’s not letting Max tear us apart. "You were mine then. You’re mine now," Max growls. "No one can love you like I do." "Not anymore," Sam snaps. "She’s mine. You’re just a ghost from her past." Caught between two men who refuse to let me go, I must choose between the fire of my past and the peace I found with Sam. Two men. One woman. A battle for my heart—and my future. Only one can win.
Lihat lebih banyakSarah****
I sighed, staring at my trembling hands. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if what I was about to do was right or not. I shook my head, forcing resolve to take hold. No. I must do this—for Max. It’s the only way he can focus on his game. I don’t want to be his distraction, the chain holding him back from his dreams. “Sara...” Max’s voice broke through my thoughts. I felt the warmth of his hands gently resting on my shoulders. I closed my eyes, lingering in his touch for just a few more seconds. I sighed again, summoning every ounce of strength within me. It’s now or never. “Max...” I said, standing to face him. My heart clenched as I met his gaze, his handsome face lit with an affectionate smile. “We need to talk.” “Okay...” he said softly, his smile widening as he lifted my hand to his lips, kissing the promise ring he had gifted me. “We can’t be together,” I said, the words leaving my lips like a dagger slicing through my heart. Confusion flickered in his eyes. “What do you mean?” “I want to leave.” I repeated, my voice trembling as I fought to hold back the tears threatening to fall. “Sara...” Max whispered, his voice laced with pain as he wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly. “Just tell me where you want to go, and I’ll come with you. Anywhere in the world.” I sighed, resisting the urge to give in. I wanted to hug him back, to hold on just a little longer. One last time. I stayed motionless in his arms, my hands limp at my sides, but my head rested just above his heart. I could hear the rapid rhythm of his heartbeat, betraying his fear of losing me. I’m sorry, Max. I have to do this. For you. “That’s what I don’t want,” I said, pushing him away gently, separating his body from mine. “I don’t want you in my life.” “You’re kidding me, right?” he said, forcing a strained smile to hide his distress. “I’m not kidding,” I said, my voice firm despite the pain clawing at my chest. His smile faltered, confusion giving way to disbelief. “You and I don’t belong together,” I added, hating every word. “You’re lying,” he said, his voice breaking as he grasped my hands. “I know you love me. Just tell me if I hurt you—if I did something wrong. Please, Sara, tell me.” I couldn’t answer. I knew how much Max loved me, and I loved him just as fiercely. But our love was destroying his dreams, and I couldn’t let that happen. For his sake, I had to be cruel. I had to make him believe the lie. “I don’t love you anymore,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I couldn’t believe the words were coming from my mouth. “You’re lying,” Max said, his eyes searching mine desperately. “I can see it.” “I don’t love you,” I repeated, forcing myself to meet his gaze. My voice trembled, but I pressed on. “Why would I love someone like you? What are you? A poor, struggling player. How can you expect me to stay with you when you can’t even provide the basics? All you’ve ever given me is this cheap promise ring. It doesn’t even have a diamond.” I slid the ring off my finger, my heart shattering as I threw it to the ground. “Why are you doing this? You were never like this,” he murmured, his voice filled with heartbreak. I forced a cold smile onto my face. “I was always like this,” I lied. “I dated you because you were the school hunk, someone I thought would make it big. I thought being with you would bring me fame, money, and everything I wanted.” He stared at me, his jaw clenched as tears brimmed in his eyes. “So, I was just a stepping stone to you?” I nodded. “Exactly. But look at you now. You quit basketball and work as a waiter. You’re a loser, Max. And I don’t want a loser in my life.” His hands fell away, his eyes glistening as he looked at me with a pain so deep it nearly broke me. “I thought you loved me for who I am,” he said, his voice barely audible. “You were a fool,” I said, a tear slipping from the corner of my eye as I smiled through the pain. Max stepped back, his face hardening. “If you want to leave, then go. I won’t stop you. But mark my words, Sara—one day, I’ll have everything. The fame, the success, the life I’ve always dreamed of. And you won’t be there to share it with me. You’ll regret leaving my side.” “Go,” he shouted, his voice shaking. “Leave me!” I turned and walked away, my legs barely carrying me as tears streamed down my face. I’m sorry, Max. I’m so sorry. If I had any other choice, I would never have hurt you. But when love becomes a burden, the only choice is to let go. You deserve so much more than I can give you. I hope, one day, you understand.SARAThe voices were sharp before I even opened my eyes.Not words at first—just jagged edges cutting through the cotton in my head.I’d been drifting in a warm, dark tide, the kind where you can almost pretend the pain isn’t there. Where time doesn’t exist. Where the world outside your skin can’t reach you.But the noise dragged me up, whether I wanted it or not.Flashes bled through my eyelids—ghost-light, quick and brutal—that made the ache behind my forehead pulse harder. The rhythm of it wasn’t right. Not steady like a heartbeat, not random like weather. Purposeful. Hunting.I turned my head, slowly, like my skull might crack if I moved too fast. The pillow shifted beneath me, scratchy with hospital starch. The faint smell of antiseptic clung to the air, sharp and sour under the sterile chill. The window was a strobe light—bursts, shadows, silhouettes pressed too close to the glass.And then I saw them.Max and Sam—two storms colliding just outside my door.Max’s shoulders were t
MAX****Her fingers twitched in mine. Just barely, but enough to make my chest tighten. Hope rose fast—too fast—only to collide with the fear that whatever she woke up to wouldn’t be me.“Sara?”Her eyelids fluttered, unfocused at first, then tracking the ceiling like it might give her answers. She blinked at me—slow, hesitant—like she was trying to place a song she half-remembered.It had been like this for hours, and even the doctors couldn’t explain her confusion. It was as if she was trapped in a haze, unable to fully recognize her surroundings or the people around her.“You’re—” She hesitated, her voice trailing off as she struggled to form words. Staring at my face with a mix of recognition and uncertainty, she finally managed to whisper. “I know you… don’t I?”The words cut deeper than any accusation Sam had thrown at me.“It’s me,” I said softly. “Max. Your Max.”Her brow furrowed, and she looked past me, scanning the room as if she expected someone else to be here. “Where… is
MAX****“Sara’s fine.” That’s what I kept telling myself, over and over, like a prayer. But one look at her pale face on the hospital bed, and I knew I was lying.The sound of her head hitting the edge of the table still echoed in my skull. One moment of anger, of careless shoving, and suddenly there was blood—so much blood. I kept thinking, if Sam and I hadn’t been acting like idiots… If Sam and I weren't roughhousing in the kitchen, maybe she wouldn't have tripped over us and hit her head on the tabletop. The guilt pressed on my chest like a weight I couldn't throw off. I just needed her to wake up.But I am grateful that I hadn’t lost her. Not yet.Sara looked impossibly small in the bed. Tubes, wires, the pale cast of her skin—all of it made her look like someone else. Not the firestorm I remembered. Not the woman who could walk into a room and command it without saying a word. Even when she doubted herself, I never did. She had this way of filling space without even trying.I had
SAM***The air in the hospital was suffocating—sterile and thick with the scent of antiseptic. But that wasn’t what had my chest tight. It wasn’t the flashing cameras or the endless questions from reporters. It wasn’t even the weight of all the eyes on me, as if the whole world were waiting for something to happen.No, it was her. Sara.I told myself she wasn't mine anymore. But the truth? She never had been, not in the way I had hoped.We’d spent so much time together, been through so much that, in my heart, I knew I was the one who should’ve been there when she fell. But instead, it was Max. Always, Max.I leaned against the cold wall outside her room, watching as he held her hand. The very sight of him made my blood boil. He didn’t understand her like I did. He didn’t know her pain. The depths of her fears, the way she needed someone to listen, to understand. That was me.I had confessed my love for Sara once, long ago. I’d even asked her to be my girlfriend; she said yes. Not beca
Max****The sterile scent of the hospital hit me, suffocating and sharp. The harsh fluorescent lights felt like a slap to my face. None of it mattered. What mattered was that Sara was still alive. It felt suffocating, the fluorescent lights too harsh, the buzz of activity too loud. But none of that mattered. What mattered was that Sara was still alive.I squeezed her hand gently, my knuckles white from the grip. Her breathing was shallow, the bloodstains still staining the fabric of her dress, and every moment felt like it could be the last. I couldn’t bear it. Not now. Not after everything.But it wasn’t just her life on the line.As we pushed through the emergency doors, I could already hear the paparazzi outside, their cameras flashing like a storm. They were always there, always watching, but today—today they were relentless.
Max***The seconds stretched into eternity as I knelt beside Sara, my hands shaking as they cupped her face. Blood seeped through my fingers, warm and thick. The sharp, metallic scent filled my nose, making my stomach twist with panic."Sara," I whispered hoarsely, my voice breaking. "Please, stay with me."Her eyelids fluttered, and for a moment, I thought she might open her eyes. But then she let out a soft, pained whimper, and I felt her body sag beneath my touch, as if the weight of everything was too much for her to bear."Shit," Sam muttered from behind me, his voice low and laced with something that almost sounded like regret. But it was too little, too late. His eyes darted between Sara’s limp form and me, guilt flashing momentarily across his face before it was quickly buried under layers of fury.I didn’t spare him a glance. I couldn’t. Not now."Sara," I breathed again, my heart
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