“Maybe I was a victim back then,” I said quietly. “But I don’t have to keep being a victim of my past. Fuck the past. It doesn’t get to define me.” My palms tightened on the wheel. “Before, I only knew how to destroy. But now? I’ll learn how to build. If you’ll let me, I’ll build a life with you. One where you will feel safe, loved, and so fucking cherished that you will never doubt that you belong by my side. Not for a single second.”
