IMOGEN'S POV
I couldn't do it. I couldn't look at him.
The weight of seven years hung between us, thick and suffocating, pressing against my chest like a vice.
I kept my gaze down, staring at the flowers now scattered at my feet. A pathetic sight. A fitting metaphor for everything I had abandoned.
"Hello, Isaac," I murmured, forcing the words out through a throat that felt raw.
A scoff. A harsh breath. The sound of his palm dragging down his face.
"So the rumors were true then," he muttered, voice edged with something sharp and bitter. "Imogen Stone is back in town."
I swallowed, lifting my chin slightly but still not meeting his gaze. "It's nice to see you, Isaac."
He let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head. "No. It's not."
Silence stretched between us, but it wasn't the kind that brought comfort. It crackled like an open wound, festering, demanding attention.
"Why'd you come back?" he asked, his voice quieter now, though no less harsh.
