Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 288: Tears of the Past Nova's POV

"You don't mean that," I said, my voice trembling. "You've never seen me that way before. You've always seen me as just... as just "

"As just a friend?" he interrupted, his voice pained. "I know. I made you feel like you didn't matter, like you were nothing more than a second thought. And I'm so, so sorry for that, Nova. I should have seen it sooner.

Astrid showed me how foolish I've been, how I've been chasing something that was never meant for me, while ignoring the one person who has always been there, right beside me."

He took a step closer, reaching out to gently cup my face, his thumb brushing away a tear that had slipped free.

"You're the woman I should have been fighting for, Nova. The one I should have cherished all this time. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I need you to know that I see it now. I see you. And I'm so sorry for all the ways I've hurt you."

His words pierced through the pain I had carried for so long, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions inside me. This was the apology I had never expected to hear, the acknowledgment of all the hurt he had caused. "I left because I thought it was the only way I could survive the pain, Drystan," I confessed, my voice trembling as I spoke the words I had held inside for so long.

"I couldn't bear being around you while you were looking at her like that... while you were loving her in a way I thought you could never love me." I continued.

"I thought if I got away, if I put enough distance between us, I could finally forget everything I felt for you." Drystan's expression softened, and I saw the guilt flicker in his eyes, deepening with each word.

His grip on my hands tightened, but he didn't interrupt, allowing me to continue.

couldn't stop thinking about you," I whispered, my voice cracking as the tears welled

done something differently, maybe if I had been stronger,

couldn't, Drystan. I couldn't keep hurting myself, pretending that I was okay while loving someone who never

with pain, and he looked away for a moment,

you were invisible," he murmured, his voice thick with regret. "I wish I could go back and change everything." I shook my head, a small, sad smile tugging at my lips. "I didn't come back expecting you to change the past. I came back because I needed closure, because I thought if I faced you, if I told you how

looked back at me, searching my face as if he was afraid of what I

than a whisper. "Do you still want to move on without

out a long,

knew has changed.

saw me, that

maybe, just maybe, we could have a different future. One where I don't have to carry the

the first time, I saw a

promise that I'll get everything right, but I swear never take you for granted again, Nova. If you'll give me the chance, I'll spend

emotion in his eyes, cracked something inside me, and

hand over his, letting myself lean into his

scared, Drystan," I whispered, my voice breaking as more tears slipped down my

believe that this time, things could be different. That maybe we could

from deep inside his chest, and before I could react, he pulled me back