Page 41 of Wild Tangled Hearts

His gaze returns to mine, and for a moment, he searches my eyes for answers. His hand remains on my cheek, warm and comforting.

"I want you to know where I stand," he says. "I like you. A lot.” He takes a deep breath, stroking my cheek, and I resist the urge to lean into his touch.

“I can sense the ‘but’ coming,” I say, removing his hand from my face.

His jaw clenches, and he draws back slightly. “My last relationship ended badly.” Vulnerability flashes in his eyes. “I’m still trying to figure some shit out.”

“You’re still in love with her.”

“No.” He shakes his head adamantly. “It’s not like that. It’s...” His nostrils flare, and he pinches the bridge of his nose. “Fuck.”

“I get it. I've been hurt, too. But sometimes, taking a chance on something real is worth the risk." At least, that’s what I thought yesterday. Today, I’m second-guessing myself.

He nods. “I want that. I do. I just think I need to take things a bit slower. Until I get my shit figured out.”

I pause, letting his words sink in. My heart aches with the raw honesty he's shared, but I'm grateful I stayed to listen. Slowly, I begin to rebuild the protective walls around my heart. I had let my guard down with him, and now I regret it.

Frustrating and confusing emotions surge within me, and I swallow hard, fighting back the tears that threaten to surface. I'm not entirely sure why this hurts, but it does. For a fleeting moment, I believed he might be the one, making it all the more painful.

"I appreciate your honesty,” I tell him, turning the ignition key. “It's important that you take the time to figure things out."

"I promise you, I want this to work. I don't want to rush into something and make the same mistakes again."

I barely hear his words because my heart seems to be beating inside my ears, and I know I need to drive away before I let him see me cry.

“I need to go,” I say with a forced smile, putting the gear in reverse.

“Bella, wait.”

This time, I don’t wait. I shift the car into reverse, and he takes a step back. As I attempt to switch back to drive, the gear stubbornly gets stuck in neutral, causing my engine to roar. “Shit.”

Panic sets in as I repeatedly shift the gear lever to coax it into the correct position. The engine's roar intensifies, and I can feel Alex's gaze on me.

"Come on, come on," I mutter, frustration building as the car refuses to cooperate.

Finally, with one last forceful push, the gear clicks into place. The engine quiets down, and I let out a sigh of relief. Glancing in Alex's direction, I offer an apologetic shrug, embarrassed by the sudden mechanical hiccup.

He gives me a reassuring nod, his expression understanding.

I carefully pull out of the parking lot, still feeling the residual unease from our conversation. The mixed signals between us are mirrored by the car's mechanical confusion, leaving me with a sense of uncertainty that I can't shake.

Reader’s Choice:

What should Bella do next?

Maintain the hope that things will work out with Alex. Allow him the space and time he needs. Turn to this page.

Since things with the Boy-next-door didn't work out, why not embrace adventure with a real bad boy? Call Damien and arrange a date. Turn to this page. If you’ve already had a first date, you can have a second date by Turning to this page.

Chapter18

Alex

STAG AND DOE WOE

The days have dragged by at an excruciatingly slow pace. The cuts and bruises from my tumble in the woods have finally healed, but it's been even longer since I received Alex's last message, the digital equivalent of a wellness check — since then, there has been nothing but radio silence.

And I’m fine. I’m over him.Even as I think it, I know it’s a lie.

---