Under the flickering firelight, the man’s eyes shimmered with a brilliance that reminded Stella of a starlit night—deep and impossibly clear. Even his striking features seemed touched by gold, the flames casting him in an almost unreal glow.
Joshua spoke quietly. “No need. Even if I tried to sleep, I doubt I’d get any rest.”
Stella let her gaze linger on his face. “Is your insomnia still that bad?”
He shook his head. “Hasn’t changed.”
“Is it because you have too much on your mind?”
Stella herself had rarely suffered sleepless nights—at least, not until her own troubles began piling up.
Joshua didn’t argue. “Maybe.”
She lowered her voice. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Joshua fell silent.
Worried she’d overstepped, Stella quickly added, “It’s okay if you don’t want to share…”
Before she could finish, his crisp, clear voice broke through the quiet. “Would you ever forgive someone who hurt you?”
Stella thought for a moment. “Depends on the kind of hurt. Not all wounds are the same.”
He looked away, then suddenly asked, “What about Haynes? Could you forgive him?”
She answered honestly, “I don’t forgive him, but I don’t hate him anymore, either.”
After Rachel Pearce’s lies were exposed, Haynes had done his best to make amends—more than she’d expected. Stella hadn’t pretended to be above accepting his help. After all, five years of marriage should have meant something; even a housekeeper wouldn’t have left with nothing.
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