Run: 2026-02-19-01KHSYYZFW7Q85234RRT2RBRRR

Rory gripped the doorknob, her heart pounding in her ears as she pulled the door open. She stared in disbelief at the figure standing on the other side, a man she hadn't seen in over a year. "Lucien," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. His eyes, one amber and one black, locked onto hers, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. The memory of their last encounter flooded her mind — the hurt, the betrayal, the things left unsaid. Lucien's lips curled into a small, rueful smile. "Hello, Rory." Rory opened her mouth, then closed it again, unsure of what to say. A million questions raced through her mind, but she couldn't find the words. Instead, she stepped aside, silently inviting him in. Lucien stepped over the threshold, his gaze sweeping the familiar flat. Rory noticed the way his fingers tightened around the ivory handle of his cane, a telltale sign of his unease. "What are you doing here, Lucien?" Rory asked, closing the door behind him. He turned to face her, his mismatched eyes searching her face. "I...I'm not entirely sure," he admitted, a rare moment of vulnerability. Rory felt a pang of something akin to sympathy. She had never seen Lucien so unsure of himself. The Lucien she knew was always in control, always two steps ahead of everyone else. This hesitant, almost nervous man standing before her was a far cry from the confident, suave fixer she once knew. "It's been a long time," she said, her voice soft. "Yes, it has," Lucien replied, his gaze drifting away from her face. The silence that followed was thick with unspoken words, the weight of their history hanging between them. Rory could feel the tension in the air, the electricity that seemed to crackle whenever they were in the same room. "How did you find me?" she asked, breaking the silence. Lucien's lips quirked into a wry smile. "I have my ways," he said. "Old habits die hard, I suppose." Rory crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I thought you'd sworn off tracking me down." "I did," Lucien admitted, his expression somber. "But...I couldn't stay away." Rory felt a flicker of something akin to hope, but she quickly pushed it down. She couldn't afford to let herself be drawn in, not again. "Why are you here, Lucien?" she asked, her voice more firm. Lucien sighed, running a hand through his slicked-back hair. "I...I'm not entirely sure," he repeated, his gaze meeting hers once more. "I suppose I just...needed to see you." Rory felt her breath catch in her throat at the raw honesty in his words. She had never known Lucien to be anything less than composed, and this vulnerable side of him was both unsettling and intriguing. "After everything that happened..." Rory began, her voice trailing off. Lucien nodded, his expression somber. "I know," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Rory. I'm so sorry." Rory felt her heart clench at the genuine regret in his words. She had waited so long to hear those words, to know that he truly felt remorse for the way things had ended between them. But now that she had them, she found herself at a loss for what to say. "I..." Lucien hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I never meant to hurt you, Rory. That was never my intention." Rory felt a lump rise in her throat, and she had to swallow hard to push it down. "Then why, Lucien?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why did you do it?" Lucien lifted his gaze to meet hers, and Rory was struck by the raw emotion she saw there. "I was afraid," he admitted, his voice rough with emotion. "Afraid of what I was feeling, afraid of how much you...how much you meant to me." Rory felt her heart skip a beat at his words, and she had to resist the urge to reach out and touch him. "Lucien..." she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. He took a step closer to her, his eyes searching her face. "Rory, I...I never stopped caring about you. I never stopped thinking about you." He reached out, his fingers brushing her cheek, and Rory felt a shiver run down her spine at his touch. "Then why did you leave?" Rory asked, her voice trembling slightly. Lucien's expression was pained, and he let his hand fall away from her face. "I was a coward," he admitted, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I was afraid of what I was feeling, afraid of how much you meant to me. I...I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, so I pushed you away." Rory felt a wave of emotions wash over her — hurt, anger, and a glimmer of hope. She wanted to be angry at him, to yell and scream and demand an explanation. But the raw honesty in his words, the vulnerability in his eyes, made it impossible for her to stay angry. "Lucien..." she breathed, reaching out to touch his arm. "I...I don't know what to say." He lifted his gaze to meet hers, and Rory was struck by the intensity of the emotions she saw there. "Say you forgive me, Rory," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Say you'll give me another chance." Rory felt her heart racing, the weight of his words pressing down on her. Could she really trust him again after what he'd done? Could she risk opening herself up to the possibility of being hurt once more? But as she looked into his eyes, she knew the answer. The hurt, the betrayal, the things left unsaid — they had never truly gone away. And now, with Lucien standing before her, offering her his heart, she knew that she couldn't ignore the pull she still felt towards him. Rory took a deep breath, her hand tightening around his arm. "I forgive you, Lucien," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And...I'd like to try again. If you'll have me." Lucien's eyes widened, and for a moment, Rory thought she saw a glimmer of hope in them. Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face, and he reached out to cup her cheek. "I'd like nothing more," he murmured, his voice low and soft. Rory felt her heart swell with emotion, and before she could overthink it, she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his in a searing kiss. Lucien responded immediately, his arms wrapping around her waist as he pulled her close. The kiss was filled with a desperate, almost hungry edge, as if they were both trying to make up for lost time. Rory felt a shiver run down her spine as Lucien's tongue swept across her bottom lip, and she parted her lips, allowing him to deepen the kiss. All the hurt, the anger, the doubt — it all faded away as she lost herself in his touch, in the familiar scent of his cologne. When they finally pulled apart, both breathless, Rory couldn't help but smile up at him. "I missed you, you know," she murmured, her fingers tracing the lines of his face. Lucien returned her smile, his eyes softening. "And I, you," he murmured, his thumb brushing across her cheek. Rory felt a sense of peace wash over her, and she knew that, despite the pain of the past, this was where she was meant to be. With Lucien, in this moment, everything felt right. As they stood there, lost in each other's embrace, Rory knew that their journey was far from over. There were still so many questions, so many uncertainties, to be faced. But for now, she was content to simply bask in the warmth of his presence, and the knowledge that, somehow, they had found their way back to each other.