Sally's POV
Even from behind, I know it's him. That broad frame, those shoulders I once traced with trembling fingers. My heart recognizes Karl before my mind catches up.
His name escapes my lips before I can stop it. When he turns toward me, my stomach plummets like I'm freefalling from a cliff.
I'm not ready for this moment.
For years, I've rehearsed what I'd say if our paths crossed again. Every possible scenario, every cutting remark, every dignified response. But now that he's here, standing just feet away, all my preparation crumbles to dust.
He towers over me just like before, achingly familiar yet different. Those ocean-blue eyes that used to look at me with such tenderness now carry shadows I don't recognize. His jaw is more defined, his face leaner, marked by whatever storms he's weathered. Maybe the years haven't been gentle to him either.
But damn him, he's still devastatingly beautiful in that broken way that always undid me.
