After what seemed like an eternity of trying to coax Colten into eating, Alina finally gave up, taking the matter into her own hands. She ate quietly, her mind still restless, and then settled down on the sofa, exhausted. Colten was busy with the fireplace, tending to the flames with care, and she let herself slip into a brief rest, the warmth of the fire lulling her into a sense of peace.

The hours passed by unnoticed, and the night grew colder. A strong gust of wind rattled the windows, waking Alina from her light sleep. She sat up, blinking in the dim light, and her gaze shifted to Colten. He had drifted off, sitting on the floor with his back against the smaller couch, the crackling fire casting soft shadows across his tired face. Even in his sleep, he looked weary, his brow furrowed as if burdened by unspoken thoughts.

Alina studied him for a moment, her heart catching in her chest. He wasn't in a deep sleep—she knew him too well. If he had been, he'd be pouting, a habit she had noticed in him years ago. His expressions were as familiar to her as her own heartbeat, the little quirks that had once made her smile without even realizing it. She didn't know when it happened, but somewhere along the way, her feelings for him had transformed. They'd always been there, buried under the weight of time and distance, but they had never truly faded. Could she forget him? Could she forget the boy who had once held her heart so effortlessly?

As she watched him, a pang of sadness settled in her chest. She couldn't tell if it was the years that had dulled the connection between them, or the realization that perhaps he had forgotten her. Maybe it didn't matter. The thought of being forgotten by the one person who had once meant everything to her made her feel cold inside, more so than the winter air outside.

Her thoughts swirled, tangled and heavy, until they were interrupted by a shift in the room. Colten stirred, his eyes blinking open, and the moment their gazes met, Alina instinctively pulled back. The proximity, the isolation of the room—everything felt too charged, too dangerous. But before she could move farther away, Colten reached out, his hand grabbing hers and pulling her closer.

"Colten..." she started to protest, but her words were swallowed as he tugged her into his embrace, guiding her to sit beside him on the floor. The closeness overwhelmed her, and she stumbled, her hands finding the edge of the sofa for support, but he was insistent, his grip firm yet gentle as he pulled her further into his embrace.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. They simply exchanged glances, those same unspoken words passing between them. Slowly, without saying a word, Alina lay down beside him, the cool ground beneath them both. His arms enveloped her, pulling her into the warmth of his body as he settled beside her. It felt like coming home.

"It's cold," he murmured softly, his voice rough with sleep as he tightened his hold on her, drawing her closer.

Alina didn't answer, not with words. Her breath hitched as their faces were so close, their noses nearly touching. The air between them was thick, each exhale mingling with the other, and for the first time in so long, their eyes locked, not avoiding one another, but drinking each other in. The weight of the years, the distance, the silence—it all seemed to melt away in that moment.

Colten couldn't bear the closeness, the emotions crashing through him. He couldn't tell if he was still dreaming or if this was real, but in the midst of it all, he couldn't ignore the ache he had carried for so long. His fingers, trembling, reached up to trace the curve of her cheek, feeling the soft warmth of her skin beneath his touch.

"God... I missed you so much," he whispered, his voice barely audible, like the words had been locked away in his chest for years.

"I missed you too," Alina replied, her own voice a fragile breath of relief. It was as if the world had been holding its breath, and now, with those simple words, the weight had lifted, even if just a little.

A soft, bittersweet smile tugged at Colten's lips as he gazed at her, his fingers weaving through her hair, pushing a stray lock behind her ear. Every movement felt both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time, like a melody they once knew but had forgotten. He traced the delicate line of her chin, his touch light and reverent, as if he feared that the moment might shatter if he was too forceful.

His fingers lingered at her lips, tracing their outline, memorizing the feel of her, and in that moment, all the longing, the loneliness, and the years apart coalesced into a single, desperate need. He leaned forward, his lips finding hers in a kiss that was gentle but full of unspoken years.

It was a kiss that spoke of longing, of lost time, of waiting and yearning. And as their lips met, everything else fell away—the doubts, the fears, the heartache. There was only them, here, now, in this moment.

When they finally pulled apart, breathless and wide-eyed, they didn't need to say anything more. They simply stared at each other, their gazes searching, studying each other as though they were trying to memorize every detail, every inch of the other.

"I missed you like hell," Colten murmured, his voice thick with emotion, as he ran his fingers along her cheek, a tear threatening to fall from his eye but never quite making it.

"I'm here," Alina whispered softly, her body relaxing into his, the weight of the years beginning to melt away. "And I will stay here. What about you?"

"I'm not going anywhere," he replied, his arms tightening around her, as if he were afraid she might slip away again. "I'm never letting you escape from me again."

They lay there in the quiet, the warmth of the fire flickering softly beside them, and the world outside seemed to disappear into the background. The years of silence between them, the distance that had once seemed insurmountable, began to unravel as they spoke. Slowly, carefully, like the unraveling of a knot they had both been trying to untangle for so long.

Colten sighed deeply, his voice filled with regret. "I should never have let you go, Alina. Not like that. I was... I was scared, and I pushed you away, but I shouldn't have. I should have trusted you more."

Alina stayed silent for a moment, her fingers tracing patterns across his chest, the weight of his words settling between them. She had always known him to be someone who ran from his feelings, someone who built walls when things got too real. But hearing him say it now, hearing the weight of the regret in his voice, made her heart ache for him and for the two of them. For everything they had lost, for everything they could have had.

"I never wanted to leave," she whispered. "I never wanted to walk away from you. I just... I wanted you to fight for me, Colten. I needed you to fight for us."

He closed his eyes, squeezing her hand as if the pain of it all was too much to bear. "I know, I know... I failed you. I thought I was doing the right thing, letting you go, but all I did was hurt you. And I've carried that regret for so long."

Alina could feel the tears pressing at the corners of his eyes, his breath uneven as he struggled to hold it together. She didn't pull away; instead, she let him rest his head on her chest, his tears wetting the fabric of her shirt. The years of silence between them had been loud in their absence, but now, in this moment, it felt like the silence was healing, slowly stitching them back together.

"You didn't just hurt me, Colten," Alina said softly, her voice trembling. "You hurt yourself too. And I hated seeing you like that, thinking you had to do everything alone. It wasn't fair to you, and it wasn't fair to me."

His body shook slightly with the weight of his emotions, and he let out a soft sob, his arms tightening around her. "I never wanted to hurt you, Alina. You have to believe me. I was just... I was lost. I didn't know how to deal with everything, and I thought maybe letting you go was the right thing to do. But it was the stupidest thing I could've done."

Alina closed her eyes, resting her cheek on the top of his head. She let him cry, let him release the pain that had been festering for so long, and she held him as tightly as she could. This was a kind of release for both of them, a cleansing of old wounds that had festered for years.

As his tears eventually slowed, Alina asked, her voice gentle but curious, "What have you been doing all this time, Colten? After everything... what did you do?"

He took a long, shaky breath before answering. "I... I took care of the house. Of Gramps. He's getting older, you know? I had to make sure he was okay. He's not as strong as he used to be." Colten paused, his fingers playing absentmindedly with a strand of her hair. "I also took a photography course. I was trying to find something to do... something that made me feel like I was moving forward, you know? And... it's been going well. It's been one of the few things that gave me peace."

Alina smiled softly, her heart swelling with pride for him, even though the sadness still lingered in her chest. "I'm glad. I'm happy you found something for yourself, something that makes you feel good."

But despite the small comfort, a weight still sat heavily in her chest, a sadness that seemed impossible to shake. She had wished for so long that he would open up to her, that he would trust her enough to share his pain and the loneliness he must have felt. But he hadn't. And that hurt.

"I wish you would've let me in, Colten," she said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "I wish you would've trusted me enough to let me help, to let me be there for you. It breaks my heart that you didn't believe I could handle it. I wanted to be there with you. But you pushed me away..."

Colten's breath hitched again, and he clutched her tighter, as if he feared she might slip away. "I know. I know, and I'm so sorry. I was scared, Alina. I was scared of losing you, and I thought... I thought if I kept pushing you away, it would hurt less. But it only made everything worse. You were the one person I needed, and I pushed you away." His voice cracked with guilt, and he buried his face in her neck, trying to hide from the weight of his own failures. "I failed you."

Alina felt a lump in her throat, but she didn't pull away. She kissed the top of his head softly, whispering, "You didn't fail me, Colten. You just... you made a mistake. And I understand. I do."

He looked up at her, tears still in his eyes, and for the first time in so long, there was no barrier between them. "I don't deserve you, Alina. I don't deserve your forgiveness. I don't deserve you, period."

She cupped his face, her thumb gently brushing away a stray tear. "You do. You deserve everything, Colten. You always have."

His eyes shone with vulnerability, and as he stared into her, there was a quiet understanding between them, a promise without words. "I'll never do it again. I swear. I'll never let you go again. I'll fight for you, Alina. I'll fight for us."

She smiled softly, a tear slipping from her eye as well. "I believe you, Colten. I believe you."

And for the first time in so long, as they lay there together, the weight of the past felt just a little bit lighter. Their hearts, though battered by time, had found a way back to each other, and in this quiet space, with the fire crackling beside them and the promise of a future they could finally build together, they both knew that this time, they wouldn't let go.