The conviction in his voice, the gentle way he strokes his thumb over mine and pulls me to his chest to lean his nose against my temple, stirs a belief in me deep down that this is a genuine apology for all of it. Alexi does regret the past between us, and I genuinely believe him for the first time, without doubt, question or niggles.

We have hit a crossroads, and I need to choose a path. I long to walk into the light, and maybe my master of darkness will be the one to lead me there. I ...