I stood there, motionless, watching until their taillights disappeared.
Then—
"Elena, why are your eyes red?"
I turned.
Luke Baxter. My childhood friend who'd chased me for ten years. The boy next door I'd trusted since I was small. For the entire five years of my marriage, he'd kept his distance, afraid rumors might hurt me.
Only now did he appear again.
"Did that bastard Andrew bully you again?" His jaw tightened. "Did he hit you?"
He wore a black trench coat, his frame lean but solid—the kind of presence that made you feel safe just standing near him.
"Luke."
My eyes stung harder, but I forced a smile and held up the divorce certificate. "Look. I'm free."
I exhaled slowly. "I should've listened to you years ago. Andrew James was never the right choice." My voice cracked. "If I'd listened sooner, I wouldn't have wasted five years."
Something flickered across Luke's face—pain, maybe—and he pulled me into his arms.
"Elena, do you have any idea how I survived these five years?" His voice was low, rough. "I kept hoping you'd lose. And hoping you'd win."
My gaze dropped. I closed my eyes and let myself sink into his warmth.
Five years. I'd lost. Completely.
This time, I was truly done.