February I thought we had something real-me and Arlo. We moved fast, but it felt right. We laughed, raced motorcycles, shared silence like it was sacred. I believed him when he said he wasn't the romantic type. I believed I was enough. Then he crashed, and while he was healing, I found the letters. Not for me. For her-Lyra, the girl who broke his heart. And suddenly, everything shifted. Every kiss, every quiet moment, every almost-I-love-you.

Alessia had rules. She didn't do drama, didn't take nonsense from any man. Until him. For Cassian, she broke every one. A cliché, impossible mother in law? She handled it. Missed dinners because of work? She served herself double and waited anyway. Too tired to spend time together? She embraced the quiet hours alone. She forgot her limits, abandoned her rules. All for him. Until her. The one rule she couldn't break, the limit she couldn't cross. She saw him with her. Broken, she left and whispered a wish she never thought would come true: that she had never met him. The wish was granted. Alessia woke up and didn't remember him. But now Cassian is the one waiting. Running against time to be near her. Chasing every moment, following every rule, just so she might remember him again. And if she can't... Can he remember it all for both of them? © IcecreamSundae5. All rights reserved.

One lesson I learned very early in life was to be cheerful, to be agreeable, to do as I was told and ask for nothing, and to never ever complain. Smile Maddie. Be happy Maddie. Don't make trouble and maybe they'll love you. I grew into an adult who took care of others and never expected that those I loved would take care of me in return. I gave and never asked, never expected, never demanded. Smile Maddie. Be happy Maddie. Don't make trouble and you'll find someone that will love you. And then one day, a Dragon walked into my workplace and turned my world upside down with a single wink. Having grown up watching his father treat his men like they were disposable, just meat bags to be fed into the grinder, Dragon was determined to be different when he became president of the Dragon's Inferno MC. He cares about his people. He takes care of them. He was upfront with me, taking care of his MC and those he considered to be his would always be his priority. And I agreed to that, I joined him in that mission, throwing myself into becoming the perfect old lady of the prez. Smile Maddie. Act happy Maddie. Take care of them and maybe they'll love you. Smile Maddie. Be happy Maddie. Don't complain and maybe he'll love you. I told myself I was independent. I was strong. And I didn't need my Dragon to take care of me. And I almost believed it. Almost. But now I'm watching him with her. I'm watching him comfort her. I'm watching him listen to her, support her, reassure her. I'm watching him take time from his day to check in with her. I'm watching him worry about her. I'm watching them become closer right in front of my eyes. I'm seeing every thoughtful gesture he does for her. And me? I'm not happy. I'm not smiling. I'm done being agreeable. Fuck not causing trouble. I'm about to set my Dragon's world on fire. And then I'm walking away. She can have him. For the first time in my life, I'm choosing myself.