Chapter 2

Dalton shoved his phone back into his pocket. "Alright, the staff will handle the rest of the bags. Let's go."

They walked toward the Barron estate, moving down the private cobblestone path that connected the two properties. Tall, neatly trimmed hedges lined both sides, creating a green tunnel that isolated them from the rest of the world.

Angelena intentionally matched her pace to his. She stayed right beside him, shoulder to shoulder, instead of lingering half a step behind like she used to. She saw his shoulders stiffen slightly at the proximity, but he didn't move away.

The silence stretched between them, filled only by the crunch of gravel under their shoes. Dalton was trying to figure her out; she was trying to find the right words.

She took a breath. "Dalton, there's something I need to say."

He turned his head, his blue eyes cautious. "What is it?"

She looked straight ahead, her voice clear and steady. "I've spent the last five years thinking about how stupid I used to be."

Dalton's eyebrows shot up. That was not what he expected to hear.

Angelena let out a short, self-deprecating laugh. "I put all my focus on Gorden. I acted like the Barron family began and ended with him."

She said the name without a flinch, without a tremor. It sounded like she was discussing a stranger she met on the subway.

Dalton's gaze darkened, his jaw clenching as he listened.

"I ignored you," Angelena continued, her voice dropping to something softer, more intimate. "I ignored Cordella and Prescott. I ignored Averi. I took all of your kindness for granted."

She stopped walking. Dalton stopped instantly, turning to face her. She looked up at him, her eyes dead serious.

"So I came back to start over. Not just with my life, but with my relationship with all of you." She paused, letting the words sink in. "Especially with you, Dalton. That's just as important to me."

Dalton felt a muscle jump in his cheek. The words landed heavily in his chest, echoing in a space he had kept locked away for years.

"With me?" he repeated, his voice suddenly rough, like sandpaper dragging over wood.

Angelena nodded firmly. "Yes. We're neighbors. Our families are close. I don't want us to be like we were before-just nodding at each other across a room with nothing to say."

She was giving him a perfectly logical excuse, but the look in her eyes was anything but logical. It was hungry and desperate, masked only by a thin veneer of politeness.

Dalton's heart slammed against his ribs. He forced his breathing to remain even, fighting to keep his expression neutral. Was this just her growing up? Or was it something else?

"Of course we can," he said finally, his voice low. "Angie."

The nickname slipped out before he could stop it. Angelena's face lit up. She beamed at him, a smile so bright and genuine that it made the surrounding greenery look dull in comparison.

She started walking again, her steps light and bouncy. Dalton watched her for a second before following. This time, he made sure to walk right beside her, matching her pace perfectly. The distance between them-both physical and emotional-had just shrunk considerably.