Page 30 of When Love Changes Everything

"What about it bothers you?" he asks, his arms securely around me, as if anchoring me in place.

When I look away, he gently tilts my chin back with his thumb, guiding my gaze to his. "Hey, hey,hermosa. What is it?"

"You had an affair with her before you met me, but then again after we met," I say, my voice uncertain. "It stings, I'm not gonna lie."

"I went out with Zoe, Mandy, and Meredith—all after you and I met. Why does Marian bother you so much?"

When he catches the uncertainty flickering in my eyes, his expression softens. "It meant nothing," he says, his gaze open and honest. "And I can assure you, it didn’t mean anything to her either."

"But Marian was the only one you were with again. And again," I murmur.

"Wait," he says quickly, his tone defensive. "Nothing happened the last time she was here. I told you that."

"Lily mentioned Marian had an adjoining room to yours," I counter, my voice trembling. "She said that when Marian opened that door, she looked like she was expecting something to happen between the two of you."

"I can't be blamed for her actions, Lisa," he says, the edge in his tone—and the use of my given name—letting me know he's feeling defensive. "But I am responsible for mine. By the time Lily arrived and overheard our argument, I had already told Marian I wasn't interested.Hermosa, I haven't been with anyone in six months."

"Six months?" I ask, my mind racing to pinpoint the moment we both realized what we felt was more than mere attraction.

"The last hike we went on," he says, as if reading my mind. "That's when I knew dating anyone else would be futile. My mind, my thoughts, and my heart were already yours."

Chapter 12

Mateo

"That was your first week back in Cold Spring?" she says with surprise, as though she’s only now piecing together the significance of that moment.

I let my gaze settle over hers. "One of the very first things I did after Lily picked me up from the airport was ask if you were seeing anyone."

Her eyes widen slightly. "Really? And how exactly did you manage that without giving yourself away?"

I chuckle. "She happened to mention you were babysitting Davey. I saw my opening and... took it."

She tilts her head, a faint blush blooming across her cheeks. "You always have a way of doing that—cutting straight to thepoint. I couldn't believe it when you called that night to ask me if I wanted to go for a hike with you. Like it was the most natural thing in the world."

"I couldn’t wait to see you again." I confess, my tone turning serious.

"And that's exactly what you said that night," she says, a soft smile lighting up her face.

"If I could have," I clarify, "I would have seen you every day."

"You were the best part of every day I got to see you—every single one." She pauses, her gaze wistful. "Until you left."

"I should’ve never left the way I did," I admit.

"I understand why you left," she says pulling away, her tone laced with hurt. "I just wish you had talked to me. I thought… I don’t know what I thought. But when you left without saying goodbye, it crushed me."

I exhale sharply, my regrettable choices coming back to haunt me. "I did it for Lily," I murmur. "My actions had heavy consequences, and leaving felt like the only way to solve everyone’s problems—Noah's, hers, mine."

"What about me?" she asks, shaking her head. Her expression is a mixture of frustration and lingering pain. "Look, I can’t blameyou for wanting to run away. What you went through was pretty rough. But what I do blame you for is for leavingme.I had just started letting my guard down, finally putting aside all the preconceived notions I had about you. Even Lily’s warnings to keep my distance. And then you blew it."

Her words hit me like a punch. "I’m so sorry," I say, my voice filled with regret. "I thought walking away was the only thing I could do to stop hurting everyone, and to prevent hurtingyou."

"But that's just it, Mateo!" she exclaims, her voice breaking. "You did hurt me. You…you made me fall in love with you, and then you left—just like that. No goodbye, no explanation, no call. Nothing. And when I saw you again at the wedding…" She pauses, her voice shaky. "I didn’t know what to say, how to act. I was so confused. I thought maybe I had imagined everything. That maybe you didn't owe me an explanation or an apology because the connection I thought we had was all a figment of my imagination."

My throat tightens as I force myself to meet her gaze. "You didn’t imagine it,hermosa" I say. "I felt it too—every moment of it. I should have talked to you. I owed you an explanation back then, and I owe you an apology now. Please... forgive me."

She turns away, her silence cutting deeper than words. The temporary reprieve from her angry gaze leaves an ache of its own, twisting painfully in my chest—a yearning to see that endless blue ocean in her eyes once more.

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