Chapter 123

The words spilled from my lips with the force of a dam bursting, carrying all the emotion I'd held back during those endless weeks of silence. "I love you too, Claire. Madly. Completely. More than I ever thought possible." Her eyes widened, those beautiful green depths that had haunted my dreams filling with something that looked like wonder. Before I could say another word, her hands fisted in my shirt, pulling me down to her with desperate urgency that matched the ache in my chest. When our lips met, it was like coming home after a lifetime of wandering. The kiss was desperate, hungry, filled with weeks of longing and misunderstanding and the overwhelming relief of finally being in each other's arms again. I tasted tears—mine or hers, I couldn't tell—and something deeper that spoke of love reclaimed, trust restored, promises renewed. We stumbled into her apartment, neither willing to break the contact that felt so essential after our separation. The door slammed shut behind us, enclo