Chapter 8: The Weight of the Past

Evelyn left Alexander's penthouse that night with a whirlwind of emotions consuming her. The revelation that she had spent years resenting him for something that wasn't true gnawed at her. She had been so certain of her pain, so convinced of her heartbreak, that she had never stopped to question whether she had been wrong.

The cold night air wrapped around her as she walked to her car. She barely registered the honking of traffic, the chatter of pedestrians. Her mind was too tangled in the past.

Could she forgive him? Could she let go of the years of anger, the resentment she had clung to like armor?

She wasn't sure.

The next morning, Claire practically barged into her apartment, eyes filled with curiosity and impatience. 

"Okay, spill. What happened?" Claire demanded, plopping onto Evelyn's couch and folding her arms expectantly.

Evelyn sighed, rubbing her temples. "He told me the truth. The woman I saw him with that night… she was his cousin. Maria."

Claire's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

Evelyn shook her head. "I wish I were. But no, he swears that's the truth. He was just comforting her. She was going through a divorce."

Claire let out a long breath. "And you believe him?"

"I don't know." Evelyn collapsed onto the couch beside her friend. "It's been years, Claire. I built my life on the belief that he betrayed me. How do I suddenly just… change that?"

Claire tilted her head, considering. "I get it. It's hard to undo something that's been a part of you for so long. But Eve, if there's even a chance he's telling the truth, don't you owe it to yourself to find out?"

Evelyn closed her eyes. She hated how reasonable Claire was. Because deep down, she knew her friend was right. 

That evening, Evelyn found herself sitting at her laptop, staring at an unsent email. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she debated what to say.

Alexander,

I don't know what to do with this information. I spent so many years hating you, believing you had broken me. And now, I find out I may have been wrong.

I don't know how to move forward. But I do know I can't ignore this.

Evelyn

She stared at the email for what felt like an eternity before finally pressing send.

Almost instantly, her phone buzzed.

Alexander: 'Thank you for reaching out. Take all the time you need. I'll wait.'

She let out a slow breath, placing her phone down. If nothing else, at least now she knew one thing for sure—this wasn't over.

The following week was filled with an unbearable tension Evelyn couldn't shake. She spent her days at work, pretending to be fully engaged in meetings and projects, but her mind was always somewhere else. Always with him. 

She avoided talking to Claire about it, knowing her friend would only encourage her to act on her feelings sooner rather than later. Instead, she spent most of her nights going through old memories, wondering if she had been too hasty in erasing Alexander from her life.

Then, one evening, an unexpected knock at her door startled her from her thoughts.

She hesitated before opening it.

Alexander stood there, hands in his pockets, looking uncertain for the first time in his life. "I know you asked for time," he said softly, "but I needed to see you."

Evelyn swallowed, gripping the doorframe for support. "Why?"

"Because I need you to know that I never stopped caring. And because waiting in silence is torture." He exhaled sharply. "I can't change the past, but I can give you the truth now. Whatever you decide after that… I'll respect it."

Her heart pounded against her ribs. "Alexander, I—"

"No more running, Evelyn. If you want me to walk away, tell me now. But if there's even a small part of you that wants to try again, let me prove it to you."

Her throat tightened. She wasn't sure she was ready. But as she looked into his eyes, she realized something terrifying.

She wasn't sure she was ready to let him go, either.