page39 (1/2)

"Do you regret it?" he asks

"Yes, I regret it," I exclaim as I pop back up "I don't want to hurt her I love her"

My dad sed that adhtly "Have you told her?"

I wince, thinking back to that beautiful moment when I was deep inside of Gracen's body and she told me she loved me

How I couldn't say the words back to her and haven't brought myself to say them since

I shakemy cowardice to my father

"You didn't want to get hurt again by her," he concludes, and yeah, that sentiht

I drag aze back up at him "No one will ever kno hard it was for me to break up with Gracen I wanted her and I wanted my freedom I loved her so much, and when I left her, there wasn't a day went by that I didn't think of her to soained had been worth losing her"

"You grew up in that ti wrong with that And there's so to be said about second chances"

"I guess," I say hesitantly as I look down at my beer bottle

"Listen," my dad says, and my head pops back up "Here's ht Go apologize and tell her the truth of how you feel Don't hold back Lay it all out, Marek"

"Lay it all out," I repeat as if testing the weight of the consequences of what that all means

"If you do, you can never have regrets later," he adds "If this is what you want, a family and a life with Gracen, then put it all out there and ask her for it"

"Do I deserve that second chance?" I ask him, my voice hoarse with the emotion

"Of course you do You deserve to have it all"

Chapter 28

Gracen

I feel like a zoet to sleep last night, the fight I'd had with Marek playing over and over again inI wanted to do was leave him, I didn't see any other option Our hurts ran so deep that ere just too toxic for each other The enorhed so heavy on e to sleep, I ith nightmares I couldn't quite re

As soon as I hit the bottom step and look into the kitchen, I freeze to find Marek sitting at the counter and looking at me He has a cup of coffee in front of him and I realize now that the house is eerily silent

"Where's Lilly?" I ask hi room

"I took her over toso we could have so heavy in the air and my stomach knots

I want to be , but the truth is, I suppose we need to talk and figure out the mechanics of what happens next

I walk past Marek, noting the flatness of his eyes and the paleness of his skin I watched the gaht I felt a terrible because there was no doubt in my mind that the nasty words we'd thrown at each other were responsible for his game play Just another reason, I reood for each other

Marek doesn't say a word as I ainst my chest wall, the anxiety of this confrontation so very oppressive

"I'ot hurt," he says into the quiet, and it catches uard I spin to face him "I should have asked you I just didn't think there was anything wrong with it because I had been skating at that age"

I holda lot about this issue last night Once I'd gotten some distance from Marek and had calmed down a bit, I knew I'd overreacted

"Yes, I wish you would have askedI knoasn't anyone's fault but those reckless kids'"

His eyes lighten in what I think etting hurt is so evident in his expression right now

Marek just stares at me, as if he doesn't knohat to say next The silence is aard, so I turn back to the Keurig and start my coffee

I feel him step up behind me, his presence palpable before he even puts his hands on my shoulders He turns st on his face "I don't want you to go back to New York"

And I don't want to go back either But I don't see any other way