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Eva stared at Michael’s tie clip, her thoughts momentarily distracted by the memory of that day. It had been years, but seeing the gray tie clip on him now stirred something inside her—nostalgia mixed with a subtle warmth she couldn’t quite place. Back then, she had been reluctant to buy it for him, but now it felt like a token of the time they had spent together, even though they had lost touch for a long while.
“You’ve still got it,” Eva said, her voice a little softer than she intended. She couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips.
Michael glanced down at the tie clip, his fingers lightly grazing it before he looked up at her with a smile. “Of course. It’s not something I’d forget. It’s a reminder of good times,” he said, his voice surprisingly tender. “Besides, it suits me, don’t you think?”
Eva nodded, unsure of what to say next. The air between them had shifted again, a subtle change, like a delicate thread that connected their past to the present. They had spent so many years apart, but now, sitting across from him, it almost felt like no time had passed at all.
“Are you really staying here now?” Eva asked, breaking the silence. “In the country, I mean?”
Michael leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. “Yes,” he said with a shrug, “I figured it was time to settle down. No more traveling all over the place. I want to be around people who matter.” His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he added, “You matter, Eva.”
She blinked, surprised by the sudden intensity in his tone. But before she could respond, the waiter brought over their orders, and the moment passed.
As they began eating, the conversation drifted to lighter topics—Michael’s experiences abroad, her work with the Blackwood family, and everything else that felt less complicated. But despite the casual tone, Eva couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more beneath the surface, something unspoken between them.
Michael was a constant presence in her life now, whether she realized it or not. And even though they hadn’t been close for years, it felt like he was quietly stepping back into a role she hadn’t known she needed.
“Do you regret it?” Michael suddenly asked, his voice quieter now, his focus on his food but his words clearly directed at her. “Regret that things turned out this way? With Adrian and Vivian?”
Eva’s spoon paused midway to her mouth as she processed the question. The lump in her throat tightened, but she swallowed it down. “I think I was always too hopeful,” she said, more to herself than to him. “I thought maybe… maybe something could change, but I guess I was wrong.”
Michael looked at her then, his gaze sharp yet understanding. “You were never wrong for hoping,” he said. “It’s just that some things are out of your control.”
Eva didn’t know how to respond. She wanted to believe him, to accept that there was no shame in having hope. But the image of Adrian rushing to Vivian’s side, the way he had looked at her—Eva couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he had already made his choice.
They ate in silence for a while, the only sounds the clink of utensils and the soft murmur of the restaurant. Eva felt a heaviness in her chest, but Michael’s steady presence beside her, his easy smile when he caught her eye, was comforting, even if she couldn’t fully understand what was happening between them.
After they finished eating, Michael leaned back in his chair, looking satisfied. “You should rest,” he said, his voice gentler now. “You’ve had a long night, and I know you’ve got a lot on your mind. Don’t let it eat at you.”
Eva hesitated, her mind swirling with everything that had happened. But looking at Michael, his unspoken support, it felt like maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t alone in this after all.
“Thanks,” she said softly, meeting his gaze. “I think I needed this.”
“Anytime,” he replied, his smile warm and genuine. “I’m here whenever you need me, Eva.”
As they left the restaurant together, the night air seemed a little less cold. Eva didn’t know what the future held, but for the first time in a long while, she felt like maybe she didn’t have to figure everything out on her own.
