She tied the bandage a little too tightly, and he hissed in pain. “You should be,” she said, her tone fierce but softening as she touched his arm. “You scared me half to death.”He caught her wrist gently, their eyes locking. “I didn’t want to leave you. I had to. Reese—”“Forgive me, Stefan, but I don’t care about Reese right now,” she said, wiping her tears and cutting him off. “I care that you’re here. That you’re alive.”She pressed her forehead against his good shoulder and let out a shaky breath. For a moment, the world went quiet.Stefan hesitated, then slid his hand up to the back of her neck, fingers threading through her hair. “I’m here,” he murmured. “I made it back to you.”“Sure, I'm glad,” she whispered, lifting her head. “But it's gonna take more than that to make up for leaving us.”He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her — slow, deep, aching with everything he couldn’t say. When he pulled back, her tears had smeared against his skin.“I'm sorry,” he told her, “
Last Updated : 2026-05-10 Read more