When He Comes Crawling Back

Rain drummed against the floor-to-ceiling windows of Vivian's Bridal, each drop racing down the glass like tears. I should have taken that as a sign.

"Evie, you look absolutely stunning." Celeste's voice pulled me back to the moment. She stood behind me, hands clasped together, eyes bright with excitement. "Nate's going to lose his mind when he sees you in this."

I turned in front of the mirror, watching the silk fabric flow around me like liquid moonlight. The dress was perfect - elegant without being fussy, sophisticated without being cold. Just like everything else in my life now. Just like Nathaniel.

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this," I said, smoothing my hands over the fitted bodice. "Getting married. Six months ago, I never thought..."

"That you'd find someone worth marrying?" Celeste grinned, adjusting the dress's delicate straps. "Girl, I've been waiting for this day since you called me crying about that Alpha from Silvermere Pack who brought you soup when you had the flu."

I laughed, remembering. Nathaniel had shown up at my apartment with homemade chicken soup and spent the entire evening making sure I was comfortable. No agenda, no expectations. Just genuine care. So different from...

"Evie, stop being dramatic. It's just a cold."

The memory hit me like a slap. Kieran's voice, dismissive and impatient, from three years ago. I pushed it away quickly.

"This dress is the one," I said, more to myself than to Celeste. "It feels right."

"Everything about this feels right," she agreed, stepping back to admire the full effect. "You're glowing, babe. Like, literally glowing. Love looks good on you."

The bell above the shop's entrance chimed, bringing with it a gust of cold air and the scent of rain. I didn't look up immediately - rich women came and went in places like this. But something made the hair on my arms stand up.

"Well, well. Evangeline Ravencrest."

My blood froze. That voice. Deep, smooth, with just a hint of a Montana drawl that used to make my teenage heart skip beats.

I turned slowly, already knowing what I'd see. Kieran Ashworth stood just inside the doorway, water dripping from his dark hair, those green eyes locked on mine with an intensity that hadn't dimmed in three years. He looked good. Expensive suit, confident posture, success written in every line of his body.

But those eyes. Still hungry. Still angry.

"Kieran." My voice came out steadier than I expected. "What are you doing here?"

He stepped closer, and I caught the scent of his cologne - something woody and aggressive. Everything about him screamed money now. Such a change from the boy who used to wear the same jeans for three days straight.

"Business meeting across the street," he said, but his gaze never left me. "Imagine my surprise when I saw you through the window." His eyes traveled over the wedding dress, and his jaw tightened. "You look... different."

"People change," I said simply.

"Do they?" He moved closer, ignoring Celeste's protective step toward me. "Because you look exactly like the same girl who used to promise me forever."

My heart clenched, but not the way it used to. Just... sad. For him. For the boy he'd been. For the promises we'd both been too young to understand.

Seventeen years old, sitting on the hood of his beat-up truck under Colorado stars. "Someday I'm going to give you everything, Evie. A big house, fancy cars, everything those rich kids at school have." His green eyes were so earnest, so sure. "We'll show them all."

"That was a long time ago," I said quietly.

"Three years." He said it like it was nothing. Like three years of rebuilding myself from the ground up was just a blink. "Three years since you walked away from everything we built together."

"Everything we built?" The words came out sharper than I intended. "Kieran, we lived in a studio apartment where you played video games for eighteen hours a day while I worked three jobs just to keep the lights on."

His face darkened. "I was figuring things out. Finding my path."

"Your path led you away from Alpha succession." I shouldn't have said it. We both knew it was cruel. But the truth had a way of slipping out when emotions ran high.

The silence stretched between us, heavy with old wounds and newer resentments. Celeste shifted uncomfortably beside me, probably wondering if she should call Nathaniel.

"And what path are you on now, Evie?" Kieran's voice had turned soft, dangerous. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you've found yourself another Alpha to take care of. Another pack to join. How's that working out for you?"

Heat flashed through me. "My relationship with Nathaniel is nothing like what we had."

"Isn't it?" He stepped closer, close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in his green eyes. "You're still looking for someone to give you the life you think you deserve. Still trading up."

"You don't know anything about my life now."

"I know you're standing in a wedding dress that costs more than some people make in a year. I know you've attached yourself to some small-time Alpha who probably thinks he's hit the jackpot." His smile was sharp, cutting. "I know you, Evangeline. You haven't changed as much as you think."

The accusation hung in the air between us. Part of me wanted to defend myself, to explain how wrong he was. How Nathaniel wasn't some prize I'd won or security I'd bought with my affection. How what we had was built on respect and partnership and genuine love.

But I didn't owe Kieran explanations anymore.

I looked at him - really looked at him. The expensive suit couldn't hide the bitterness in his posture. The success couldn't mask the resentment in his eyes. He'd gotten everything he'd ever said he wanted, and he was still angry at the world. Still angry at me.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," I said calmly.

Something flickered across his face. Surprise, maybe. He'd expected a fight, probably wanted one. But I wasn't seventeen anymore, desperate for his approval and afraid of his temper.

"That's it?" he demanded. "That's all you have to say?"

I felt Celeste's hand slip into mine, warm and supportive. Through the window, I could see Nathaniel's car pulling up to the curb, right on time like always. My chest filled with something warm and sure.

I met Kieran's eyes one last time and said the words that would change everything.

"I'm getting married, Kieran."