Freddy’s POV

I smirked, leaning in just enough so that my lips hovered near her ear.

"You never really wanted to leave, did you?"

She exhaled, shaking her head with a small laugh.

But she didn’t deny it.

Instead, she took my hand, threading her fingers through mine, and said,

"No. I just needed to make sure I chose this life for myself."

Her words settled in my chest like a weight and a relief all at once.

Because I had always known.

She had tried to run.

She had tried to convince herself that she was meant for a different life.

But in the end—

She had always been...