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“What about Genessa?”
“What about her?”
“Last time I saw you, you were with her.”
“I’m not going to lie.” His eyes drop. “Genessa and I dated a little bit.”
I thought hearing him say it out loud would hurt more, but it doesn’t. I’ve been dating Tyler, so I can’t really be upset about him and Genessa.
“She was a good thing,” Zak says. “She made me realize how great you are and how much I really want to be with you, not somebody else.”
“Shouldn’t you havealreadyrealized that?”
“Probably, but for some reason, I didn’t see how perfect you are for me until you were gone.” He steps forward, taking my hands in his. “I want us to be together again. I want us to finally build the future that you’ve been talking about for years. I want to marry you. I would get down on one knee right now if you’d let me.”
I glance down at our joined hands, trying to figure out what all of this means.
Zak is back.
He’s saying everything I’ve wanted to hear for the last three years. I should be happy, but all I feel is confusion. I can’t understand why, at the moment Zak said he wanted to marry me, Tyler’s face crossed through my mind.
He squeezes my hand. “What do you say, Meg? Can you forgive me for being such a jerk and take me back?”
There’s a part of me that wants to flip him the bird and kick him out of my apartment, but there’s also a vulnerable piece of me that wants to curl up in his arms and cry.
I’m sad about my dad.
And I’m sad about Tyler—that things can never work out between us.
Then there’s my mom and the final words she said to me. Marrying Zak was what she wanted for me. I can’t just send him on his way when I could finally fulfill her dying wish. Can I?
“You don’t have to decide anything right now,” Zak says softly. “I just want you to give me a chance to make things right. Let me back into your life. Let me show you how much you mean to me.”
His offer is tempting, because I’m sad about my dad and Tyler. But even if I know things can’t work out with Tyler, I’ve experienced what a great relationship is like. And it’s nothing like what I had with Zak. I can’t go back to how things were with him. Tyler changed my standard. He readjusted the bar and raised it. I’d rather be alone than be with someone that doesn’t see me.
“I don’t want to go back to how things were,” I say.
“I know.” His eyes light up. “I’ve changed. Things will be different between us.”
“It’s too late, Zak. I’ve changed too.”
“You don’t have to decide right now. You can think about it.”
“I don’t need time to think about it. Things between us are over.”
“Meg.” He squeezes my hand. “You’re confused. That’s understandable.”
“I’m not confused.” I pull out of his grasp. “You’ve spent the last five minutes telling me whatyouwant and howyoufeel. It’s my turn to tell you howIfeel. I don’t love you anymore.”
Zak puffs out an insecure laugh as his eyes drop to the floor. “This isn’t how I saw things going.”
I shift my weight. “I’m sorry.”
There's another knock at the door.
His head jerks up. “Are you expecting someone?”
“No.” I walk to the door and open it.
