Confronting the Shadows

Valerie’s POV

Not sure what his confession did to me.

His apology.

I don’t know if it made me feel better.

Maybe I expected it to. Maybe I thought hearing him say those things would magically fix something in me.

It didn’t.

But it… softened something.

Just a little.

He looked different now. Not his face. Not his clothes. Just—him. The way he stared at me like I was real again. Like I mattered.

Tha