“It doesn’t matter, Paige. You’re with Derek.”
A shadow crossed her face as she admitted, “Derek and I broke up a while ago.”
She tried to sound casual, but her expression revealed something deeper. I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t want to gloat or offer fake sympathy, so I simply asked, “Why?”
She looked like she wanted to vent, but held back. “People meet, have fun, and then it’s over. Not everyone rides off into the sunset.”
She sighed, sitting on the bed, staring at the floor.
“We were supposed to,” I said quietly, realizing too late that I’d spoken aloud.
“Yeah, we were,” she agreed, her eyes glistening. “But somewhere along the way, we lost the connection. It became all chores, bills, and work.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “Then I messed up, and now everything’s ruined. The twins are struggling, and I’m stuck looking at old photos wishing I could go back. Derek wasn’t our problem. We were. He was just a symptom of the deeper issues in our marriage.”
I sat beside her. “We both let things slip, but we can only move forward from here.”
She turned to me, and the look in her eyes was one I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was almost as if she was seeing me for the first time again. She took a deep breath, grabbed my hand, and said, “I made a mistake giving up on us, on you.”
“Paige,” I began, trying to pull my hand away, but she held on tight.
Her eyes seemed to search my soul, a mix of emotions playing across her face. Then, as if making a sudden decision, she grabbed my face and kissed me. Her hands, once familiar, now pushed me back onto the bed.
“Paige, what are you doing?” I asked, confused.
“Artie, don’t talk. Just do this with me,” she whispered, a coy smile on her face as she kissed my neck.
I almost gave in, but then Derek’s image flashed in my mind, a reminder of our broken relationship.
“No,” I said firmly, gently pushing her away.
She fell back on the bed, surprised. “Artie, no—”
She started, but I interrupted, jumping up like the bed was on fire.
“You can’t keep doing this to me, Paige. I’m not your backup plan. You can’t just come back when things don’t work out with your boyfriend. You threw me away, and you don’t get to change your mind now.”
She sat silently, thinking. Then, in a soft voice, she asked, “Do you still love me?”
I hesitated, caught off guard by the question. My response should have been easy after everything she’d put me through, but it wasn’t. Seeing my hesitation as hope, she approached me, holding both my hands.
“Be honest with yourself. Don’t let pride answer for you.”