Page 42 of When Love Changes Everything

"I’m sorry," I begin, my tone cautious, desperate for her to let me in—both figuratively and literally.

"Are you sorry for lying to me," she shoots back, her words unsteady, "or are you sorry for betraying me?"

"Lily," I whisper, stepping closer. "When I told you I wasn't into older men, I meant it. But I was always honest with you about how attracted I was to your dad. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you when the attraction became something more. I'm sorry that ourdecision to be together is hurting you. That’s the last thing I wanted."

Her eyes flash with hurt, the tears clinging to her lashes before rolling down her cheeks. "Then why did you do it?" she snaps, her voice cracking. "I’ve been warning you about Dad for years! When you told me you weren’t into older men, I believed you. You promised me you’d keep your distance, and I trusted you."

"I tried," I say. "I tried for years to heed your warnings, to keep things... simple. But then I got to know him, Lily. And I fell in love with him."

"I knew this would happen if you didn’t listen," she says, her tone clipped, each word landing like a sharp slap. "He’s left a trail of broken hearts—Mérida, Boston, here. Do you really think you’re special enough to be the one to tame him? That you’ll be so good he’ll forget every other woman who came before you?"

My breath catches, the sting of her words sinking deep, leaving me momentarily paralyzed.

"Wow," is the only word I can manage, caught off guard by how little she thinks of what Mateo and I share. The love I thought was undeniable now feels fragile under the weight of her dismissal. "That's not fair, Lily," I add. "Did you expect him to live like a monk after divorcing your mother?"

"No," she says defensively. "I expected him to find a nice woman and settle down. Although deep down inside, I doubt that'll ever happen."

Her use of present tense is not lost on me. "He attracts women like bees to honey," I admit. "Your father is beautiful, charming, a gentleman, respectful. He's been single almost as long as you've been alive. What exactly were you expecting?"

"I was expecting my friend to believe me when I told her he's not the type to commit to one woman," she snaps, her voice sharp with frustration.

"How do you know that he can't commit?" I challenge, the heat rising in my tone. "Because he hasn't remarried? Because he hasn't been in a serious relationship since your mom? That doesn’t mean he’s incapable of it."

"Getting engaged to him doesn't make you an expert on him," she retorts.

"Trust me when I say he didn’t have to propose to me for me to want him. I would’ve settled for a one-night stand." I say, surprised by my own candor. "And I’m not going to apologize for wanting to be with him—not to you, not to anyone."

"You're making a mistake," she says softly, her voice laced with hesitation.

"That’s exactly what Mateo told you when you fell in love with Noah," I remind her while holding her gaze.

"You can’t possibly be comparing—"

"All I’m saying is that your father and I deserve the benefit of the doubt," I interrupt. "You know me. You trusted me enough to give me your friendship. And Mateo—he’s been a good father. I know that because you’ve told me, year after year, how much he's sacrificed for you and how much you love him. So tell me, Lily, what exactly do you object to when it comes to him and me wanting to be together?"

She hesitates, her eyes glistening. "I’m afraid that he'll hurt you," she admits. "And I’m hurt."

I take a deep breath, softening my tone. "You’re going to have to let us figure it out. If what we’ve decided is a mistake, you can say you told us so. But if it’s not... Lily, I can make your dad happy. And he makes me happy." A smile tugs at my lips, unbidden but genuine. "We make each other happy."

Her gaze flickers, and for a fleeting moment, her expression softens. But then she whispers, "I can’t get over the fact that he’s willing to move for you when he never considered it for Mom and me."

I step closer. "If you ask him, I know he’ll tell you how hard it was to live apart from you and Sophia. A man like your dad doesn’t take his responsibilities lightly. And Lily, you know aswell as I do—you are the most important person in his life. He loves you more than anything in this world."

The awkward silence that stretches between us is finally broken by the sharp chime of the doorbell. Lily quickly wipes her nose, her movements hurried and self-conscious, before making her way to the door.

I turn around just in time to come face to face with Marian, and my stomach tightens instinctively. I force myself to take a deep breath, bracing for whatever onslaught she’s about to unleash.

She’s tall, slim, and beautiful—an effortless kind of elegance that feels almost unfair. She’s Mateo’s age, but like him, she could easily pass for someone a decade younger. Her newly cut bob, styled into perfectly bouncy curls, frames her flawless face and seems to accentuate the brightness of her hazel eyes—eyes that are boring into me like blazing daggers. Her navy sheath dress hugs her figure with precision—the kind of tailoring I’ve only seen in magazines. A delicate string of pearls graces her collarbone, understated yet impossibly sophisticated, and her stiletto heels click softly on the floor as she moves closer. Even the faint hint of her perfume, light and floral with just a touch of spice, seems to announce her presence before she speaks.

She’s intimidating, no question about it. But there’s something else, too—something in the way she carries herself that demands attention, even admiration. For a brief, unsettling moment, I wonder how—and if—Mateo was really able to resist her.

"I'm here to see my son," she announces, her commanding voice directed at Lily, who’s still holding the door open. But her eyes, sharp and calculating, are fixed on me. The glare isn’t subtle; it’s a deliberate attempt to unsettle me, to remind me of exactly who she is and what she’s capable of. I find it ironic that while I stand here, torn between admiring and feeling intimidated by her beauty, she’s probably standing there calculating all the ways she could cut me into a million pieces—and drop each one into the Hudson River, one by one.

I tear my gaze away from her and catch Lily’s expression hardening, her stance protective as she squares her shoulders. She’s lived through this before—when Marian swept back into Noah’s life, determined to reclaim his heart at any cost. And now, it’s painfully clear that Marian has turned her sights on Mateo. The tension in the room is suffocating, a silent but unmistakable declaration that Marian is ready for an outright war.

"Noah went to pick up Davey at Katherine's," Lily says coolly. "And then he stopped by his brother's house. I don’t know what time they’ll be back."

Marian doesn’t bother glancing at Lily. Instead, her eyes remain on me. "So, Lily," she begins, "how does it feel knowing your father is marrying your best friend—a woman half his age? It’s fitting, really. You and Lisa will have so much more in common now, considering you married my husband—a man old enough to be your father."

---