Summer

He didn’t just break my heart. He broke me.

One devastating lie. One epic betrayal. One cataclysmic choice that changed what could have been. What should have been. Reed Brooks annihilated every single cell of my being. He single-handedly ended my existence. I once was head-over-heels and believed in starry-eyed dreams and fairytales. I had a future mapped out with him. A forever. And then I had nothing. I was nothing. It took me a long time to put myself back together into the woman I am now. I wasn’t the girl he knew back then. I was someone else. Someone stronger, smarter, forged of steel. Someone who would never, ever forget…or forgive. Reed had his chance with me once-upon-a-time. He wasn’t getting another.

I broke her down to nothing. And by doing so, I broke me.

She was mine. Always has been. Always will be. For years I searched for her after I completely destroyed her and our future, our perfect life. But I always came up empty. I was empty. Together forever. Happily-ever-after. It was supposed to exist. But I told lies, I betrayed. I did a lot worse so our always and forever could exist. But it didn’t matter. I lost her anyway. And I lost myself too. But now she’s back and I finally have the chance to make things right. It won’t be easy. Because Emma Jameson doesn’t exist anymore. Emma Shaw does. And she’s not the girl who went running. This girl? This woman? She’s absolutely everything I’ve always wanted. Even with her jagged edges and broken pieces she’s more mine now than she was then, because underneath all the tears, frays, shards and bitter words? I see the truth. The girl who loved me is still inside of her trying to break free. She might’ve changed her name, and her soft edges might’ve become razor sharp, but a love like ours doesn’t disappear overnight. Or a decade.

There’s nothing standing in our way this time. Especially not her. I won’t allow it.
Emma is mine. Always has been. Always will be.