Page 80 of Tempted By Eden

Our eyes lock across the room, and in that moment, everything else fades. He looks at me like I’m the only person in the world. Like I’m his everything. He’s laying his heart bare… in front of everyone.

“I fell in love with her,” James continues, his voice thick with emotion. “And then I completely fucked it up. She hasn’t spoken to me in months, and honestly, it’s been the worst six months of my life.”

I swallow hard, trying to push down the lump forming in my throat. My fingers tremble around my coffee cup.

Is this really happening?

I think of the mornings he showed up outside my door. How he didn’t push, didn’t force me to talk to him, but was just… there. Every single day. I told myself his presence didn’t matter, that he was just trying to make up for what he did. But now, hearing him say that those months were as hard for him as they were for me—it changes things.It chips away at the armor I’ve built around my heart.

“I’ve realized I can’t live without her. Her smile, her laugh, the way she puts me in my place with a single look…” He trails off, his lips twitching into a brief smile before it fades. “I don’t deserve her forgiveness. I don’t deserve anything from her, not after the way I hurt her. But if I don’t say this now—if I don’t tell her how much I love her, how much I need her—I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

The room is silent now, everyone watching, waiting. Tears burn at the corners of my eyes, but I blink them back. James just stands there, vulnerable and exposed in front of everyone. And it’s something I never thought I’d see.

“If she can forgive me…” He falters, his voice cracking slightly. He steps back from the podium, runs a hand over his face and steps up again. “I’ll be right here. Waiting. But if she can’t… if I’ve lost her for good… then at least she knows. At least she knows how much I love her.” His eyes find mine, and for a second, the room is too small, too quiet.

“That is all. You’re all dismissed.”

The auditorium starts buzzing with murmurs as the crowd starts to file out. But all I can focus on is James. Nathan gives my arm a reassuring squeeze as he passes, but I hardly feel it. My mind is spinning.

He loves me.

Part of me wants to run to him, to accept every word that just came out of his mouth. But the sting of betrayal lingers; the weight of what he did. Trust is fragile, and mine shattered the day he took Leo.

I squeeze my coffee cup, the cardboard crumpling under my fingers. If I go up there, it means lowering my guard. Letting him in. And what if he breaks my heart all over again? The fear pulls me in one direction, while the memory of his smile pulls me in another. The war between my heart and my head is raging.

I glance down at him. He’s still standing there, waiting, his gaze locked on me. He looks different, though. There’s no arrogance, no walls anymore, and my heart aches at the sight of him. He’s the one that I want, but he’s also the one who hurt me the most. And that’s what makes this so damn hard.

When the room finally empties, I rise from my seat, my feet moving before my brain can catch up. But I can’t stop. I can’t walk away. Not now. Because there’s one thing I know for sure:I still love him.

I reach him in the center of the stage, and for a moment, we just stand there, the silence thick between us.

“Well, that was ballsy,” I finally say, my voice coming out lighter than I expected.

James cracks a small smile, his eyes searching mine. “Worth the risk, wouldn’t you say?”

I arch a brow, crossing my arms. “Did you really mean what you said?”

“Which part?” he deadpans.

“You know which part!” I huff, swatting his arm lightly.

His face softens, his eyes warm. He steps closer, his hands reaching up to gently cradle my face. “I meant every word. I love you, Cora. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I want you. I want Leo. I want us… if you’ll give me that chance.”

His thumb brushes softly against my cheek. “Can you ever forgive me?”

I pause, tapping my chin in mock contemplation, trying to keep the moment light, even though my heart is hammering. “Hmm… I’ll think about it.”

He laughs, a sound that warms me from the inside out, and before I can say anything else, his lips meet mine in a searing kiss that’s more than just a promise. His hands hold me close, and I let myself believe that maybe this could work.

Maybe we can be whole again.

Epilogue

Cora

One Year Later

The late afternoon sunstreams through the sheer curtains, filling our bedroom with a golden glow, but it doesn’t soften the intensity of James’s gaze. His dark eyes lock onto mine, fierce and predatory, like a hunter waiting to strike.

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