From the shadows of loss rises a love strong enough to heal even the most broken soul

I was dead.

Until I wasn't.

Everyone thought I had been lost in the line of duty, and for a while, I believed it too. When I finally returned, nothing was the same. The world I'd once known had moved on. The woman I had loved?my light, my anchor?had sought comfort in the arms of another. Not just anyone, but my own brother.

Betrayed by life and love, I shut down. My heart, once full of hope, became a fortress of pain. How could I let anyone in when I couldn't even piece myself back together? Every night, the memories and nightmares consumed me, pulling me deeper into the darkness. Love? A future? It all seemed like a distant dream, one I no longer deserved.

Unit her.

Jesse was fire, passion, and strength wrapped in a body that made my pulse race. She didn't know it, but she was exactly what I needed. With her, the darkness lifted, if only for a little while. She made me feel alive again, igniting something in me I thought had been lost forever. I found myself craving her laughter, her touch, the way she looked at me like I was worth saving.

But what do you do when you've already lost everything? When you've been hollowed out by grief and betrayal, can you really risk loving again? She's my chance at redemption, the only light in a sea of shadows, but I'm terrified that if I take the leap, I'll pull her down with me. Every choice feels like a risk. Every moment with her feels like I'm dancing on the edge of something deep, something real.

But I know one thing: if I don't fight for her?for us?I'll lose myself completely.