Page 66 of Snowed In With The Second Chance Daddy

Iris shrugs and laughs. “I don’t know, Trevor.”

Something’s off. Or maybe I can’t read her the way I used to.

Last night felt like we hadn’t been apart for a single day. But maybe it was the magic of the night, the snowy Chicago evening, the ballet. Of course, everything is easier when life is beautiful.

Then you wake up the next day, and it’s still real life. It’s not Christmas. It’s the apartment you shared with the woman you loved until she walked away. Until youdroveher away.

“Can I do anything to get you to stay?” I murmur into her hair.

“Trevor–”

“Just for another couple days.” I kiss her cheek. “I’m not trying to hold you back. I promise. I promise, I’ll never– Ipromise.”

Iris slides her hands over mine. “I don’t know if I should.”

“Of course, you should. Just three days. And we can–”

“I can’t, Trevor.”

My heart sinks. “Okay.”

Iris places her hand on my cheek. “Trevor, listen to me.”

I hold my breath.

“I want to be with you. So badly. That’s all I’ve wanted for the past six months. Wishing for things to go back to normal. To have what we had again.”

I’m waiting for the “but”.

Instead, she’s quiet. Swallows loudly.

“You didn’t say ‘I love you’ back.” It wasn’t lost on me. I’m not an idiot. It means something. I’ve been holding out hope, though. Maybe for that goodbye kiss. For her to sleep on it.

“Trevor–”

“You lost love for me? You never loved me?”

Iris shoots up to her feet. “Don’t you dare say something like that.”

“I’m just trying to understand.” It’s internal whiplash, the way I fluctuate from anger to sadness and back again.

“I’m sorry, that was dramatic.” I hold out my hand toward Iris. “Please, don’t… Be patient with me.”

Iris eyes my hand and takes it tentatively.

Thank god.

I kiss the back of her hand. “I lost you once. I don’t want to lose you again. I can’t survive it. Please.”

“Trevor. I can’t tell you I love you.”

“Why not?”

“Because I thought nothing could ruin what we had, and then I made a mistake. A big one. I know it was a big mistake.” Iris purses her lips and tears spring to her eyes. “But you cut me out. You acted like I did the most unforgivable thing, and it hurt me so bad.”

I clutch her hand tighter. “Baby, I know. I’m sorry.”

“We haven’t even had a week oflikingeach other again let alonelove.”

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