Chapter 206. Moving Forward: pt. 1

Aurora’s POV

Shane’s eyes widened in pure disbelief, the light in them flickering with cautious hope as my words settled in. “You… You really mean that?” His voice carried the weight of uncertainty, almost as if he feared this was some cruel trick his mind was playing on him. His hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, and for a brief moment, I saw the way his shoulders tensed—waiting, maybe even bracing for me to take it all back.

I exhaled softly, feeling the tension in the air stretch between us like an invisible thread, fragile and thin. With a slow, deliberate nod, I confirmed his hopes. “Yes, Shane. I forgive you.” The words felt foreign on my tongue, not because they weren’t true, but because they carried a weight that I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready to hold.

Relief flooded his features almost instantly. A small, shaky breath left his lips, and he ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, letting out a quiet laugh, the kind that teetere