Chapter 2

The view outside the bus blurred into motion, but that moment played over and over in my mind. In my past life, Emmett always kept me at arm's length. We stayed in separate rooms, and even holding hands was off limits. The night I became an adult, I offered myself without hesitation, sipping the wine Jolene handed me. My cheeks burned bright red, while his face stayed cold and unreadable. "Danielle, life in that fishing village gave you a wild and untamed spirit. But I'm different. I want to take things slow." Back then, I didn't notice the rejection hidden in Emmett's eyes. All I heard were the words "take things slow". For those three words, I wasted years waiting. Right when he was beginning to get close to me, his cousin, Heather Barnaby, came to stay at the Reid residence to recuperate. With her education and grace, she swiftly captured the Reid family's affection. Emmett was no exception. Being close in age, they started spending a lot of time together. Whenever we talked, Heather would casually drop details about her and Emmett. She told me they were known at school as the perfect couple. Every time I heard those words, a sharp ache clenched my chest. Still, I couldn't bring myself to believe it. Everyone around me said Heather treated Emmett like an older brother, and he saw her only as a younger sister. It wasn't until our wedding day that I realized they had been secretly involved all along. Both the Reid and Barnaby families were well aware of it, too. I was left standing there, feeling like a fool. Some had warned me before, but I chose not to listen. After my parents' death, the only person who truly cared for me was Ambrose Talerico. When I arrived in the fishing village, I didn't head straight home. Instead, I went to Ambrose's door and knocked firmly, a faint unease stirring in my chest. What I'd told Jolene earlier wasn't entirely true. Even though Ambrose and I grew up as neighbors and he was always kind to me, marriage was never on the table. To him, I was nothing more than a younger sister. Even so, I was determined to see him. In my previous life, I ignored his warnings and ended up breaking his heart. From there, our connection gradually faded, and he later moved away, disappearing from my life completely. He remained my one lasting regret. As I stood deep in thought, the woman next door suddenly opened her door. "Are you looking for Ambrose? I heard he was in a car accident. He's in the hospital now." A sudden tightness gripped my chest. After asking around endlessly, I finally discovered Ambrose was in the same hospital as Emmett. Navigating the sprawling maze of corridors and wards, I unexpectedly ran into Emmett again. He stepped right in front of me, his voice thick with mockery. "What are you even doing here? You couldn't keep up the act, could you? Stop trying to cling to me!" His relentless words captured nearby passersby's attention. It felt like I was nothing more than a shameless woman who refused to let go. Against the backdrop of murmurs, a sudden fury welled up inside me. But beneath that anger, my worry for Ambrose ran deeper than anything else. So, I ignored Emmett and tried to push past him. He paused, caught off guard by my dismissive attitude. Without warning, he yanked me back, his jaw clenched tightly. "Here we go again with the same push-and-pull game, huh?" My indifference only seemed to fan the flames of his anger. He lashed out, his voice edged with fury. "Don't think you mean anything just because you saved me. I'd rather die than—" "Yes! You'd rather die than marry me. Deep down, you've only ever loved Heather!" Unable to hold it in any longer, I shouted over him, "So, why didn't you marry her? What stopped you? Or were you just too scared?" Emmett froze, his face a tangled mess of emotions. "Wait… Were you reborn as well? Then why didn't you ever speak up?" he whispered, disbelief in his voice. Seeing him at a loss for words, I said coldly, "Let's just pretend we don't know each other." Just as I turned to leave, he yanked me back again. "You've gotten bold, haven't you? How dare you hide something like this from me?" Amid the tension in the air, his phone suddenly rang.