Page 65 of Falling For Us Again

Chapter 22

MR. OBLIVIOUS

Dylan

The reunion slowly comes to an end, although it takes everything in me not to leave after that encounter with Jenna. Her words keep ringing in my head. She didn’t cheat on me… it was all because she needed to leave Hartlow…

I believe her, and now I feel stupid and horrible for all the words I spewed at her. I was so angry every time I remember that she cheated with Paul but she never did. Worse, I never gave her the benefit of doubt. Why did I not stop to ask? Why did she have to take such a desperate measure? My heart throbs with pain in my chest.

I kick a bottle lying on the ground with more force than necessary, sending it flying in the distance. The sound of the bottle as it hits the floor is the sound that cuts through the night.

Maggie coughs beside me, wrapping her arms around herself. I shrug off my jacket and wrap it around her.

She glances up at me with a tentative smile. “Thanks.”

We've been walking side by side for a few minutes, the silence stretching between us, every footstep heavy with the things we’re not saying.

Her presence beside me feels... off. Something's shifted; something's changed since the kiss. I can feel it in the way her breath comes too fast, uneven.

And it’s awkward.

It’s late by the time we reach Maggie’s front steps. The porch light spills over us, casting shadows across her face, but I can still see the tightness in her expression. The corner of her mouth trembles like she’s holding something back.

“Thanks for walking me home,” she says quietly, her voice barely a whisper. She stands there for a moment, fidgeting with her keys.

“Sure thing,” I reply, trying to sound casual, but my voice comes out flat, like I’m a million miles away.

“Are you not going to ask me why I kissed you?” Her voice sounds small.

“Why did you, Maggie?”

“You’re such a damn—” She catches herself and lets out a breath.

“Good night, Maggie.”

Before I can turn to leave, Maggie moves closer. I can feel the warmth of her body against mine, and then her hand is on my arm, gripping tightly.

“Dylan, wait.”

Her voice is different now—urgent, almost pleading. She steps in closer, and before I can process what’s happening, her lips brush against mine, soft yet insistent. For a second, I freeze, my brain scrambling to catch up with reality.

I gently push her back, my hands on her shoulders, keeping a distance between us. "Maggie, what are you doing?"

Our gaze meets, and hers is dark with something raw and broken. I’ve never seen her like this before—never seen this side of her. There’s pain etched across her face, deep and real, like I’ve hurt her in a way I don’t understand. She backs away, her lips trembling.

“Why, Dylan?” Her voice cracks. She lifts her hands and shoves me in the chest once, twice. Not hard, but enough to make my heart lurch. “Why are you so blind? Why won't you notice me? Why can't give me a chance?”

I just stand there, stunned. I don’t know what to say or what to do. I grab her hands. “What are you talking about Maggie?”

“Why can't you forget Jenna and love me? Why don't you see how much I want you? I’ve been in love with you my whole life,” she sobs, her words spilling out between gasping breaths. “And you don’t even see me, Dylan.” She sobs brokenly.

“What?”

“It’s always been her for you. You’re so blind that even when I told you about the dumb fool I was in love with who didn't notice me, you still couldn’t put two and two together.”

She cups my face in her hands as tears stream down her face. “Why can't it be me, Dylan? I hate that I’m being this way, but I’ve kept my feelings bottled up for years, hoping that one day you’ll see me but you never did.”

I feel like the world tilts beneath me, the ground slipping away as her confession sinks in. Maggie... loves me? I stare at her, dumbfounded, trying to piece it all together. How? When did this happen? Maggie is not only one of my closest friends, but she’s like family to me.

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