“I told myself it was the right call—walking away, shutting her out. But it didn’t feel like winning. It didn’t feel like control. It felt like I’d just left a fire I didn’t want to put out. And now all I can smell is smoke.” Summary: Jace walks away from Ivy again—but this time, he doesn’t feel in control. Her bravery, her voice, her truth… it all lingers in him like a bruise. He wanted space. He thought distance would fix it. But now, outside in the cold, silence pressing down, he realizes what it really feels like: regret. For the first time, Jace Wilder is scared not of hurting someone else—but of having already ruined his own chance at something real.