Emily felt something stir within her, but she quickly shoved it down. “Well, it doesn’t matter to me,” she said sharply. “So stop pretending this—” she gestured vaguely between them “—can ever go back to what it was. Because it can’t.”
Nicholas exhaled heavily, setting his fork down as the weight of her words hung in the air. For a moment, he was silent, then spoke, his voice low but resolute.
“You can keep saying that, Emily. But it doesn’t change the truth. And I’m not giving up.”
Her chest tightened at his declaration, her heart skipping a beat despite herself. But she refused to let it show. A bitter smile crossed her lips. “Don’t tell me that after eight years you’ve suddenly realized you’re in love with me.”
Nicholas’s lips curved into a slight smile as he leaned in closer, his voice steady but teasing. “What if I did?”