"I'm so sorry, Claire. I never meant for it to end like this…" he whispered, his voice breaking.
She reached out as if to touch his face, but her hand passed right through his skin. "I told you, Azzy. It's alright," Claire said softly. "You didn't hurt me. If anything, you did save me in a way. And at least… I'm at peace now. I'm free of all the burdens, and I get to live with you, even if it's in a different way. I'm happy. Seriously…"
Azzy's heart clenched, and a wave of emotion hit him like a tidal wave. The ache in his chest only grew deeper, a gnawing sorrow he couldn't shake. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words felt stuck, tangled in the weight of his guilt.
"It's not that simple," he said finally, his voice filled with sorrow. "I've… married someone else."
