His gaze met mine, and I shivered. For the first time, there were no accusations, no resentment. Only longing. Longing for what we almost were before all of this began.

Fred raised his other hand and placed it opposite mine—separated by only a few centimeters of glass. We didn’t truly touch, but it felt like we did, as if in that gesture we could finally leave behind everything bad that had ever existed between us.

“I love you,” he said, forming the words silently with his lips.

I ...