CHAPTER 5

Chapter Five: A Love Worth Fighting For

The moon cast a silver glow over the lake, its shimmering reflection dancing across the rippling water. The cool night air wrapped around Isabella, but in Alexander's arms, she felt nothing but warmth.

They had spent hours on the balcony, wrapped in quiet conversation, reminiscing about the past, sharing dreams they had once had but never fulfilled. It felt like stepping back in time—back to a love that had never truly faded.

Yet, doubt still lingered in Isabella's heart.

She pulled away slightly, looking up at Alexander, her fingers still resting lightly against his chest. "How do you know this is right?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Alexander cupped her face in his hands, his gaze searching hers. "Because when I look at you, I see my future. I see everything I ever wanted, everything I was too afraid to fight for before."

Her heart clenched at his words. "But so much has changed. We've changed."

"Maybe," he admitted. "But some things never do. The way I feel about you—that hasn't changed, Isabella. If anything, it's only grown stronger."

She shook her head, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "I'm scared, Alexander. What if we make the same mistakes? What if we destroy each other again?"

His grip on her tightened, not in possession, but in reassurance. "Then we fight. We fight for what we want, for what we believe in. Love isn't easy, Isabella. It never was. But I'm not the same man I was back then. And I know—deep in my soul—I will never stop fighting for you."

Tears welled in her eyes. The weight of his words, of his conviction, wrapped around her like a promise.

She had spent so long running from her feelings, hiding behind the idea of what she should do, instead of listening to what her heart had been screaming all along.

Alexander tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Tell me you don't feel this, Isabella. Tell me your heart doesn't race when I'm near. That your skin doesn't burn when I touch you."

She exhaled shakily, her body betraying her resolve. "You know I can't."

A small, knowing smile touched his lips. "Then don't fight it anymore."

With that, he kissed her again—slow, deep, filled with a passion that ignited something within her she thought she had lost. She melted into him, into the safety of his embrace, into the love that had always been theirs.

When they finally pulled apart, breathless and lost in each other, Alexander brushed his fingers against her cheek. "No more running, Isabella. No more hiding. If you're afraid, let me be the one to stand beside you. To hold you when you doubt yourself. To remind you every single day that you are worth fighting for."

A single tear slipped down her cheek, and he caught it with his thumb, his gaze filled with nothing but adoration.

For the first time in a long time, Isabella felt something she hadn't allowed herself to feel.

Hope.

Maybe, just maybe, love was worth the risk.

To be continued…