chapter 73: I finally said yes
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Chapter 73 – Amara's POV
"I Finally Said Yes"
I wasn't trying to be cruel.
I just needed space.
Time to remember who I was before Ethan Lantel stormed into my life, kissed me like he meant forever, then left me feeling like I was nothing but a forgotten night.
But of course… forgetting Ethan was never going to be that easy.
Because Ethan didn't just disappear after what happened.
He stayed.
Every day — at work, at Arya's, even when I ran into him at the grocery store aisle holding a jar of the exact peanut butter I liked — he was there. Quiet. Watchful. Patient in a way I didn't know he was capable of.
And slowly, without even meaning to, I started noticing all the little things he was doing.
The way he'd wait until I finished speaking in meetings — even when it was something small.
The way he made sure my coffee always had the exact amount of sugar I liked.
The way he stopped flirting with every woman who breathed near him, like his attention had finally learned how to stay in one place.
Me.
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I tried to keep my walls up.
Tried to convince myself that what we had — that night — was just a moment. A mistake. Something I could tuck away in the same folder as old heartbreaks and pretend it never mattered.
But it had mattered.
It mattered when he held me like I was precious.
It mattered when he walked away before I could even process what it all meant.
And now it mattered that he was trying so hard to come back.
I just didn't know if I was ready to let him.
Until today.
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It was just another ordinary workday. Or it was supposed to be.
Ethan had been unusually quiet during the morning meeting, barely glancing my way. That alone should've brought me peace, but instead, it felt... wrong. Like a piece of something was missing.
Around lunch, my phone buzzed.
Ethan:
You like chocolate croissants, right?
I stared at the message, confused.
Then he walked into the break room — holding one. Still warm.
He didn't say a word. Just placed it on the table in front of me and turned to walk away.
I don't know what made me do it.
Maybe it was the silence.
Maybe it was the way my heart had been betraying me for weeks.
Or maybe… I was just tired of pretending I didn't miss him too.
"Ethan," I called softly.
He stopped.
Turned.
I stood slowly. My fingers brushed the pastry, but my eyes stayed locked on him. "Why are you doing all this?"
He looked at me for a moment, then walked back.
"Because I messed up," he said quietly. "And I don't expect you to forget that. But I've spent every day since trying to prove I'll never do it again."
I swallowed hard.
His voice was raw. Unpolished. Real in a way I wasn't used to from him.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Amara," he added. "I didn't even realize how much I felt until it was too late. Until I woke up alone and saw what I'd lost."
My throat tightened.
"You could've said something," I whispered. "The next day. The week after. You didn't."
"I was scared," he admitted. "Scared of what I felt. Scared I ruined something good before it even began. But I'm not scared anymore. Not if there's even the smallest chance you'll forgive me."
The silence between us was so heavy it pressed against my chest.
I looked down at the croissant.
Then back up at him.
And for the first time in weeks, I let myself feel it.
The warmth.
The pull.
The truth I'd buried beneath anger and pride.
I still cared.
I still wanted him.
I just didn't want to be hurt again.
"I'm not saying everything's okay," I said slowly. "I'm not saying I forgot."
"I don't expect you to."
"But…" I took a shaky breath, "if you're really serious… then maybe we can try again."
His eyes widened slightly, like he hadn't dared to hope.
"Really?"
I nodded. "Don't make me regret it."
"I won't," he said immediately. "I swear."
He stepped forward, slowly, like he didn't want to spook me. His hand reached for mine, warm and tentative.
And this time… I didn't pull away.
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That evening, as I walked into Arya's house to check in on her — and of course, her pregnancy cravings — she took one look at my face and grinned.
"Oh my God," she gasped, setting down a half-eaten cucumber sandwich. "You said yes, didn't you?"
I blushed. "Maybe."
She squealed and threw her arms around me, careful not to press too hard against her stomach.
"I'm so proud of you," she whispered. "Even if he is Ethan."
I laughed. "He's not perfect."
"No one is," she said, pulling back. "But if he's still trying — after everything — then maybe he's finally learning what it means to love someone."
I nodded, heart full.
Maybe he was.
And maybe, just maybe…
I was ready to let him.
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