A long, slow breath, her chest rising and falling like she’s matching the rhythm of the song.
Like she’s letting herself feel it.
Like she’s letting herself truly be here.
I nearly miss the next chord.
Because fuck.
This isn’t the same Anna who walked away from me in that kitchen.
She’s still guarded—of course she is.But something’s different.
Something is so goddamn different I don’t know what to do with it.
My heart slams against my ribs.
Does she feel this too?
Does she know what this means to me?
She doesn’t move.
Doesn’t look away.
Just keeps standing there, breathing, and I feel it like a shock to my system.
I push through the next verse, my throat tight, my voice rough, and she doesn’t waver.
For the first time, I let myself believe it.
She’s here.
Reallyhere.
And fuck, maybe—maybe she’s staying.
The final chorus comes, and I don’t know what the hell’s going to happen when this song ends.
But for the first time since I stepped on this stage, I don’t feel so goddamn heavy anymore.
And maybe—just maybe—neither does she.
CHAPTER29
Anna
It’s always been you.
The words don’t just cling to me—they sink in, take root, fuse with every shattered piece of me that I never let heal.
My chest tightens.My hands feel unsteady at my sides.
I blink, but the club is a blur.The faces, the lights, the sounds—none of it feels real.
Only the weight of his voice, still reverberating inside me.
Stillwreckingme.