“He said I wasn’t what he wanted. But the way he looked at me said otherwise. And when he said I was what he couldn’t stop wanting—then left anyway—I didn’t feel rejected. I felt like I’d just watched someone run from the thing they wanted most.” Summary: In a quiet coffee shop, Ivy finds herself face to face with Jace Wilder again—and this time, she doesn’t wait for him to speak. She calls him out, pushes back, and doesn’t flinch when he tries to push her away. Jace tells her she’s not what he wants… then confesses he can’t stop wanting her. But instead of staying, he walks out. Ivy doesn’t chase him—because now she knows the truth: he’s not rejecting her… he’s afraid of her.