When Hailey awoke in the middle of the night, she did so to an empty bed. Although she spent much of her married life that way, it now felt strange being without someone next to her. This someone, at least. The man who'd truly loved her all this time. The man who still loved her, despite all her flaws and baggage.

Two days prior, Dylan had told her he didn't plan on doing a damn thing about it. Not any time soon, at least. But what he did was allow himself to show that love. A long look. A bashful smile. A quick touch. Dylan was almost turning back into the sweet college boy she couldn't wait to see every night. Only this time, a little less damaged and a lot more chatty.

She'd fallen head over heals for that boy; even on that first night when he hadn't spoken a single word to her. She didn't need words from him to appreciate that smile or the sparkle in his eyes. As time went on, and he allowed himself to speak to her just a little more, Hailey was a goner. She could tell he'd led a troubled life, but it didn't matter to her. Hailey told herself she could help whatever pain he had to heal.

Unfortunately, it wasn't their time. Not back then. If only Hailey had held on just a little longer, maybe they would have stood a chance. But she'd given up, allowed herself to care for one man while still in love with another, then led her own troubled life by not giving in to what her heart truly wanted. She should have left with him right then and there, and that was a decision she'd regret not making for the rest of her days.

After slipping on the robe Dylan bought for her, Hailey trotted down the dark hallway, led by the small light in the living room. There he was, a dark shadow standing in the middle of the room, staring down at the papers sprawled across the floor as if they'd been tossed in the air.

Hailey grabbed the paper closest to her, recognizing the words from his book she'd read the week before. "Dylan." She spoke his name barely above a whisper, yet still he seemed to hear it.

Dylan kicked at the papers in a lazy motion before turning around to face her. Even when he looked into her eyes, he remained silent.

"What's wrong?" A nervous, plummeting feeling arrived in Hailey's stomach. Was he changing his mind about everything? Would he be pushing her away again, just as he had so many times before?

"This is my life," Dylan told her before he looked back down at the ground and kicked more of the pages. "Not just my life, but my purge. I did this because I needed to speak my truth, but was too scared to say it to the people I loved, so I just put it all on these pages before, then locked it away again."

Before Hailey could so much as think of a reply, Dylan let out a huff of air, then stepped on the pages as he approached her. "I don't want to lock myself or my truth away anymore, Hailey. Watching you asleep beside me... I'm done running from my past. I've done it my whole life, and I'm so fucking tired. The future isn't just something I stick to dreaming about, but never chase. Not now that you're back in my life."

Hailey shook her head, unsure of what to make of all this. She understood that he wasn't running from her this time. He wasn't shutting down or talking himself out of a life with her. It seemed the complete opposite of that. "Because you love me," was all Hailey could think to say.

Dylan gave her a short, tire nod. "Because I love you," Dylan confirmed. "And not just that, but because I'm finally figuring out how to love myself."

If only he could have seen what she always saw in him. If he'd been able to look through her eyes during all those walks together, there never would have been any doubt within himself that he was worth loving; that he was worth everything.

"It's time I tell my parents what happened," Dylan said then, with more conviction than Hailey expected. Even when he handed the pages to Hailey the night of her arrival, he'd been timid. Afraid. But the fear within Dylan had finally swept away, it seemed. He was now a man without his ghosts haunting him around every corner of life.

"They should know," Hailey agreed, then reached her hand out to grasp his. "Come, lie down with me. I can't sleep if you aren't there."

Dylan gave her a small nod, looked down at the mess on the ground, then followed her silently down the hallway, and into the bedroom.

Once his body was next to hers beneath the sheets, Hailey rest her head against his chest, feeling his chest hairs tickle her face. Normally, they'd be on their side and his arm would drape around her, but this time, Hailey wanted to be the one holding him.

"Do you remember the night we first met?"

Hailey smiled at the memory. "You mean when I thought you were deaf?"

Dylan let out a soft laugh above her. "I figured that's what it was, since you started talking slower."

"It was so you could read my lips better," Hailey explained as her smile grew.

"Well, I appreciate that."

"I didn't hear you talk until the next day," she went on, "when I burned my hand and you rushed over and asked if I was okay. But that first night, I just kept thinking about how your eyes reminded me of the ocean, and your smile could fix all the problems in the world."

Dylan squeezed her body tight against his. "I only ever smiled like that for you."