INICIAR SESIÓNNate’s PovThe two figures stood at the end of the pier in the last gold of the sunset. Serena’s hand was tight in mine. I shifted closer so my shoulder stayed pressed against hers. Whatever they had come to say, I would hear it with my wife beside me.“We’re listening,” I said. My voice came out steady. “But we don’t have much patience left for long stories.”One of them spoke—soft words about the night of the storm, about being in the water too, about watching from a distance ever since. I let most of the details settle somewhere in the back of my mind. The only thing that felt completely real was the warm press of Serena’s side against mine and the way her fingers stayed locked with mine.I leaned down until my mouth was close to her ear. “I’ve got you. Whatever this is, we face it and then we go home. Together.”She gave the smallest nod. Her thumb brushed across my knuckles in answer.When the speaking stopped, I didn’t respond right away. Instead I turned fully toward Serena, cu
Serena’s PovThe message glowed between us in the soft morning light. The old pier again. Someone waiting. Someone who claimed to be the real second person from the water. Nate’s arm was already around me. I set the phone face down on the nightstand and turned fully into his chest before the words could settle too deep.“I don’t want to go yet,” I whispered. “I just want this. You. A little more time that belongs only to us.”Nate’s hands came up to frame my face. His eyes were soft and serious at the same time. “Then we take it. Come here.”He pulled me closer until there was no space left. I rested my forehead against his and let myself breathe him in. His thumbs stroked my cheeks. My fingers curled into the front of his shirt. For a long moment we simply stayed like that, quiet and close.“I love you,” he said. The words were low and rough with feeling. “I love waking up next to you. I love that you’re my wife. I love that even when the past keeps calling, you still choose the pres
Nate’s PovThe soft sound from the guest room down the hall hung in the quiet morning air. Serena’s hand was already in mine under the covers. I set the phone face down and turned fully toward her before anything else could reach us.“Come here,” I said.She moved into my arms without hesitation. I pulled her against my chest and held on. Her cheek rested over my heart. My hand moved slowly up and down her bare back. For a long moment we simply breathed together.“I don’t want to get up yet,” she whispered. “I just want this. You. The quiet.”“Then we take it.” I kissed the top of her head. “Whatever is down the hall can wait a little longer. Right now it’s still just us.”Serena tilted her face up. I met her in a slow kiss. Soft at first, then deeper. Her fingers slid into my hair. Mine stayed gentle on her waist. When we pulled apart I kept my forehead against hers.“I love you,” I told her. “I love waking up next to you. I love that you’re my wife. I love that even when the past mo
Serena’s PovThe soft chime of the elevator reached us through the closed bedroom door. Nate’s arm tightened around me. For a second neither of us moved. Then I turned in his arms and pressed my face into his neck, breathing him in before anything else could reach us.“I’ve got you,” he whispered against my hair. “We face it the same way we’ve faced everything. Together.”I nodded and kissed the place where his pulse beat steady under his skin. “Together. But first I need this. Just a minute more of only us.”Nate’s hands framed my face. He kissed me slow and deep, like he was sealing the quiet we had built before the world walked back in. I kissed him back with the same quiet hunger. When we finally pulled apart, I kept my forehead against his.“I love you,” I said. “I love that you’re my husband. I love that even when the past shows up at our door, you still look at me like I’m the only thing that matters.”“I love you too.” His thumbs brushed my cheeks. “I love that you’re my wife.
Nate’s PovThe figure stood at the end of the pier, half in shadow, half in the last gold of the sunset. Serena’s hand was tight in mine. I shifted closer so my shoulder stayed pressed against hers. Whatever this person wanted to say, I would hear it with my wife beside me.“We’re listening,” I said. My voice came out steady. “But we don’t have much patience left for games.”The figure took one more step forward. The voice that answered was quiet and rough, like it had been waiting years to speak. I barely registered the words. My attention stayed on Serena—the way her fingers curled around mine, the way her breathing stayed even even though I could feel the tension in her body.I leaned down until my mouth was close to her ear. “I’ve got you. Whatever this is, we face it and then we go home. Together.”She gave the smallest nod. Her thumb brushed across my knuckles in answer.The figure spoke again, something about the night of the storm, about being in the water too, about watching
Serena’s Pov The message sat between us like a quiet dare. The old pier. Sunset. Someone who had been in the water that night. Someone who claimed they had been waiting for us to find each other. I read the words twice, then set the phone face down and turned fully into Nate’s arms. “I don’t want to think about the pier yet,” I said. “I just want this. You. The morning. Us.” Nate’s hands came up to frame my face. His eyes were soft and serious at the same time. “Then that’s what we take. Come here.” He pulled me closer until there was no space left. I rested my forehead against his and let myself breathe him in. His thumbs stroked my cheeks. My fingers curled into the front of his shirt. For a long moment we simply stayed like that, quiet and close. “I love you,” he said. The words were low and rough with sleep and feeling. “I love waking up next to you. I love that you’re my wife. I love that even when the past calls, you still choose the present with me.” “I love you too.” I ki
Nate's Pov She froze when I mentioned the coast. Recognition flickered across her face, but she shook her head. “What coast? What are you talking about?” I stepped closer. “Ten years ago. Stormy night. You pulled me out of the water when my boat capsized. Then you disappeared before I could eve
Serena's Pov The elevator ride down felt like descending into hell. Nate’s hand stayed on my back the whole time, warm, steady, completely fake. I wanted to shrug it off but remembered the contract. Appear in love. Starting now.“How did reporters even know?” I hissed under my breath.“Someone alw
Nate's Pov She said yes.I watched the word leave her lips like she was signing her own prison sentence instead of saving her father’s life. Serena Voss. After ten years, here she was, older, exhausted, still the same girl who dragged me out of freezing water and vanished.She had no idea.“You’re
Serena’s Pov “You’re not Mr. Hargrove.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. The man behind the massive desk wasn’t the balding loan officer I’d spoken to twice before. This guy was younger, sharper, in a black suit that probably cost more than my rent for a year. His eyes, dark, unrea







