Page 103 of Fairy Tale Lies
His gaze fixed on hers, ignoring the smattering of people watching them. “I thought we were a mistake. Leaving you was the mistake. I’m sorry.”
His candor surprised her, and it thawed some of the ice she built around her heart.
But only a little.
For months, she’d longed to hear him confess such things. Now, she didn’t know what to do with his words.
She went with honesty. “You broke my heart.”
“I know,” he whispered, placing his hand on her arm. The touch was gentle yet hurt soul deep. “Can you forgive me?”
Every fiber of her being wanted to lean into him and let his embrace comfort and mend her heart’s torn seams. Macy’s smug smile flashed before Greta.
She twisted away, not wanting him to notice her tear-filled eyes. “Fine. You’re forgiven. Now may I go back inside?”
He didn’t release his hold on her arm, making it impossible for her to scramble away. “No. Greta, I want more than forgiveness. I want you back.”
What poise she managed to hold on to, crumbled. Elation, anger, and hurt fought for dominance within her. “That’s not possible,” she whispered, not sure he heard.
He did, and grasped both her shoulders, guiding her around to face him. “Why? We’ve both made mistakes, but we love each other. We can work through this if you still love me. Do you?”
She peered into his eyes. The depth of his pain cut and confused her. She’d witnessed the familiar way Macy had touched him.
What game is he playing?
She decided to ignore his question and stick to their mistakes. That was much easier. “Jacob, I don’t deny my sins. I’ve done you wrong in many ways, but I never would’ve walked away. It almost killed me when you left and simply moved on like I was nothing more than a blip, a moment in your life.”
“You were never not important to me. None of this has been easy or simple. And let’s be honest, a blowup between us had been brewing for months. We both chose to ignore it.”
“True. But again, in the end, you left. Didn’t even try to fix what was breaking between us.” Greta’s voice broke, and she hated her weakness. She took a fortifying breath, trying not to dissolve into tears. She needed to get her hurt out. “I won’t risk my heart with you again. I don’t want to chance repeating that kind of misery. Next time I may lose my mind, along with my heart.”
Jacob slid his hands from her shoulders and cupped her face. “There will be no next time. I won’t ever walk away again.”
Oh God, I want to believe him.
She couldn’t. Trust and second chances hurt too much.
“Your pride is more important than our relationship.” She withdrew from his grasp, holding her hands to stop him from interrupting. “You completely disregarded my feelings and my heart. You left without a backward glance.”
“On New Year’s I let my mounting worries and resentment take over and erupt in the worst possible way. It’s no excuse. I was an ass. I made a colossal mistake. I lost everything when I lost you. I loved you then. I love you now. I’ll love you tomorrow and every day after.”
His words were a salve to her wounded heart, but they couldn’t fix everything.
“How can you say this? One. You didn’t lose me, you left. Two. You’ve moved on,” Greta choked, swiping angrily at a tear that managed to escape.
He tilted his head. “Why do you keep saying that?”
“Macy.”
His brows pushed together, forming a small line between them. “What about her?”
Jacob was hot-tempered, but she never figured him for a flake. Would he now toss aside Macy? Greta pitied the woman she’d been and even Macy. He’d played them both.
“Weeks back, I had the stupid idea of talking to you. I wanted to know if we had anything worth saving. I went to your shop.” Recalling that bitter day, her anger flooded back.
“It was you,” he muttered. “Why didn’t you come inside?”
“Because,” she rammed her palms against Jacob’s solid chest, “You and Macy…you both were quite cozy. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
