+25 BONUS
I felt like there was something I was forgetting to do. That nagging feeling sat in the back of my mind, yet the more I tried to think about what it was the farther it seemed to travel out of my reach.
It was easier not to think about anything, I decided, and continued on the long road.
After a few more steps I started to hear a voice.
“Please.” It was loud, echoing through the space, but I couldn’t tell which direction it was coming from.
It had been a male voice though, and familiar.
But who…?
My head started to hurt, but so did my heart. To stop the pain, I stopped trying to remember and continued along the path.
“Open your eyes,” the booming voice said.
How strange. My eyes were open. I chose to ignore the voice, and continued walking.
“Amber, please,” the voice continued. “I need you.”
I paused, even coming to a stop. He… needed me? But who even was he?
In a flash, I was standing in front of a building, eager to share my pregnancy results with the man inside. But when he came out, his arm was wrapped around another woman.
He told me he didn’t have time for me.
He told me to go home.
I was his secret. His wife, but hidden.
The pain felt like stinging barbs wrapped all the way around my heart.
“No,” I said to the memory. Julian had already apologized for all of this, and more, he had made it up to me as
ell, proving himself a changed man in every moment since our reunion. Olivia had wanted him to fail, to break s apart for her own goals, but we defied her.
The plane crash…
Hiding my identity…
Leaving and being found again…
All of my memories came flooding back to me like a whirlwind, one after the next. I held on as best I could, re- experiencing everything.
Maybe this should have been enough to make me hate Julian again, but in truth, it did the opposite, especially as the memories became more recent.
1/2
Chapter 342
+25 BONUS
Yes, our past was littered with misunderstandings, miscommunications, and not enough love and care. But in the time since then, we have both learned to properly express ourselves and our boundaries as well as our needs.
We were both different people than we were back then. I wasn’t so meek, and Julian wasn’t so oblivious.
More recent memories showed the changes, with our softness to each other and our consideration of each other’s emotions and feelings.
The tender way Julian held me…
How protectively he defended me, even chasing after that car when I had been kidnapped…
The way he never wanted Alice or me to worry about anything, so willing to take on the responsibility of everything so that Alice and I could relax…
The more I thought of it, the more the truth of my feelings became clear.
I had forgiven Julian long ago. There was no reason to hold onto the fear or insecurity any longer.
Moving forward, all I really had to focus on now was love and family, and being with the man I adored for the rest of my life.
If only I could get out of this place.
I looked around. Where was I anyway?
It was so difficult to see anything through this fog. And it felt cold, too, I was only noticing this now…
“Open your eyes, Amber,” Julian said, his voice echoing around me. “Please.”
“My eyes are open!” I shouted into the void.
But, then I realized that wasn’t true, was it?
My eyes were closed, because I was unconscious.
Could I change that from where I was? Could I fix this?
I closed my eyes. Then, hoping to wake up, I opened them again.
his time, for real.
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.

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