554: HOW THINGS WENT OUT

ARIEL'S POV Luke brushed a stray strand of hair from my face, his touch gentle and tender. "We take it one day at a time. We rebuild our trust, bit by bit. We talk, we listen, we try to understand each other. We forgive." "But what if we can't?" I whispered. "What if this is just too much?" He cupped my face in his hands, his blue eyes searching mine. "Then we walk away, knowing that we tried. But I know we will." He gave me an assuring smile. His smile was warm and genuine, and for a moment, I felt myself begin to thaw. "You're really sure about this?" I asked, a flicker of hope kindling in my chest. He nodded, his gaze unwavering. "I'm sure. We owe it to ourselves and to Janice to try." I closed my eyes, letting out a long, shaky breath. "Okay. Let's try." Luke leaned forward and kissed me, his lips soft against mine. "I'm sorry, Ariel. I've been a jerk these past hours, and I just want to apologize." His words washed over me like a soothing balm, calming the chaos that had