Blair’s POV
I’d been traveling for a while, drifting from place to place, hoping to find somewhere that made me feel at peace.
Eventually, I settled in a small town near the border–quiet, warm, filled with the scent of flowers. It felt almost like the life I
used to dream of.
That day, I was walking down the street alone, slowly browsing through the local market stalls when-
“Blair!”
Someone called my name.
I froze on instinct, whipping around before I even thought about it.
The figure in the crowd was blurry, but I knew who it was the second I saw him.
Christian.
My heart clenched. My brows knit together.
He’d been out of my life for so long, I’d almost convinced myself that entire chapter was buried.
Why the hell was he still chasing me? He never loved me and I left him. He should’ve moved on.
The moment I saw him, all the pain and humiliation I’d worked so hard to bury came crashing back. The memories, the
heartbreak–everything I didn’t want to remember.
The sun had been so gentle these past few weeks. Even the pain in my ribs–left over from the accident–had finally
stopped. But just seeing his face was enough to bring it all back.
I turned and pushed through the crowd, weaving through narrow alleyways, trying to lose him.
I thought it was just a chance encounter. But the next day, he showed up at my front door.
When I opened it and saw him standing there, I genuinely thought I was hallucinating. It didn’t feel real.
Once it sank in, my first instinct was to slam the door shut. But his hand shot out, stopping it before it could close.
I had no choice but to let it swing open again. I stood there, arms crossed, staring at him with nothing but cold
indifference. “What do you want?”
He moved to pull me into a hug–but I stepped back without even thinking. He froze mid–motion, hands hovering in the air,
then slowly dropped them back to his sides, looking awkward.
His voice came out rough and hoarse. “Blair… have you been okay?”
I frowned and took another step back, keeping the distance between us clear.
“Thanks for your concern,” I said coolly. “I’ve been doing just fine.”
I expected him to launch into some speech. After all, talking circles was always his strong suit. But this time, he just stood there, mouth open, saying nothing. It was like he didn’t even know where to begin.
That silence… felt strange. His throat worked hard to swallow something down. His fingers twitched and clenched like he
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wanted to touch me–but didn’t dare to.
He was scared. I could see it.
Finally, he spoke. His voice was raw. “Why did you pretend to die? Do you know how much I missed you these past few
months? I-”
“I don’t know,” I cut him off sharply. “And I don’t care.”
I’d heard enough of his pretty words over the past five years. But I also heard, with my own ears, the way he told Carrie he
didn’t love me.
So now he’s putting on this heartbroken show in front of me–who does he think he’s fooling?
He flinched at my tone, hurt flickering in his eyes. His voice cracked, “Blair… I really messed up.”
I didn’t respond.
He looked like he was trying to muster some kind of courage, then started spilling things I had no interest in hearing.
He said everything about Carrie had come to light–that she’d been injected with cancer cells and was now really dying.
That he’d made her pay for everything she’d done to me.
“I’m sorry, Blair,” he whispered. “I was fooled by her back then. That’s why I kept pushing you away. That day when I said I didn’t love you… I didn’t mean it. I… she was controlling me.”
He told me the bond–sealing deal wasn’t even his idea–Carrie had begged him for it.
His voice trembled, eyes rimmed with red.
But I just looked at him and said, calm and steady, “And what’s the point of telling me all this now?”
“For five years, I was nothing more than her stand–in. Now you’re suddenly saying you like me and not her–what the hell
does that have to do with me?”
I knew those words would cut deep. But I wasn’t here to coddle him. And I wasn’t wrong.
His whole body deflated, like someone had knocked the wind out of him. He shook his head slowly, lips trembling, face
pale.
“No… Blair… no,” he stammered, voice thick with emotion. “I know I hurt you. I know you hate me. But please believe me-
every time I closed my eyes after you left, I saw you.”
“I really did fall in love with you during those five years. I just… didn’t realize it. I said the wrong things, did the wrong
things.”
He said he regretted everything. Said he survived on memories of me, staring at old pictures. Said the resemblance between me and Carrie was just an excuse-
That he was arrogant, too sure of himself. He thought I’d never leave.
“I regret it,” he whispered, voice breaking. “Please… come back with me.”
I stared at him in silence–and suddenly, he felt like a stranger.
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The Christian I used to know–when we were young–had never looked this defeated.
It had only been a few months… but he looked like he’d aged years. There were strands of gray at his temples. The arrogance in his eyes was gone.
For the first time, I saw him…. vulnerable and full of regret.
