All Chapters of My Ex Wants Me Back: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Emily“They won’t give up until things seem sorted between us,” Marcos began, trying to start a conversation. I ignored his voice, or at least tried to, squeezing my eyes shut as if that would make him disappear. “I know you don’t want to talk, and I get it, I really do, but if you could at least listen.”I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my skin, then took a deep breath and finally looked at him. His clear, expressive eyes made me want to cry and demand why he’d deceived me, but all I did was hold his gaze.“I remember the last time I saw you before our fight. That night, I dropped you off at home after we left the cabin. When I got to my place, my nightmare began.” He interlaced his fingers and stared at them, his usual reaction when he felt uneasy, but this Marcos in front of me was a different person. “I caught my dad grabbing Bianca. He was too drunk to know what he was doing, calling her by my mom’s name while she was on the floor, and he tried to tear her clothes off.

EmilyI stared at the plate of eggs and coffee in front of me, another reminder of this town.I was still trying to process everything Marcos had told me. He did what he thought was best at the time, and if he’d known the consequences, maybe he would’ve acted differently.But I needed to focus on the present and the options we had now. Our lives had changed so much. Marcos had a family and was finally happy. He’d moved on, and I needed to do the same. I had to leave him behind, especially now that we’d cleared up what really happened.Sara was right—I needed to start fighting for what I wanted, and helping my dad had to be my focus now.I swallowed my food while planning my next steps. My dad needed help, and I knew he wouldn’t accept mine willingly, but there was one person he’d listen to.“Pastor Lucas,” I murmured, calling out to the plump little man with kind brown eyes.He turned with a surprised look and flashed a big smile. I wanted to throw myself into his arms and hide there

EmilyMy head had become a pit of confusion. Last week, I hated Marcos, and now here I was, receiving his care.Even unsure of what to think about him being here with me, I let him take me to his house, cook lunch, and eat together.“So, how’s your brother doing? We haven’t talked in forever. I heard from your mom he got married,” Marcos said, trying to catch up on my life in São Paulo.I wasn’t sure if I should take Pastor Lucas’ advice and open the door to him or if we should just be old acquaintances.“He’s doing great. Helen and he just found out they’re having a baby. That’s why I’m here instead of him—obviously, my dad would prefer it was him,” I murmured, trying not to sound self-deprecating but failing miserably.Marcos took a deep breath and looked at me with compassion.“He doesn’t hate you. He’s just confused by the whole situation,” he said, but it seemed like he had more to say, much more.“And what else, Marcos? You don’t need to tiptoe around. Just say it,” I encouraged

“Welcome to São Fernando, Emy. Can I call you that?” he whispered in a sexy tone, or maybe I was imagining it because we were too close. He took a strand of my bangs between his fingers, playing with it before locking eyes with me. “I’d be happy to show you the town,” he said, and I swallowed hard.Marcos was piercing me with his gaze, his voice growing huskier by the minute.I needed to pull away. I knew it was wrong in so many ways, but it was like he had a magnetic pull over me, even as my brain screamed to step back. I couldn’t even blink, especially when his hands slid into my hair, gripping the nape of my neck, holding me captive.His eyes flicked to my lips once and returned to mine, a warning of what he was about to do. Then Marcos pressed our mouths together hard.My sigh came out loud and desperate. It was like being in heaven again. His experienced mouth knew exactly what to do, his lips attacking mine with a hunger I felt just as intensely. His tongue glided over mine, awa

EmilyThe dinner was filled with laughter and memories, moments from years ago when we were truly happy and, thank God, knew it. Now, those moments only lingered in our memories to soothe our hearts.That’s when I realized how much he needed this. The memory of her wasn’t just a balm for my dad’s soul—it was fuel for him to keep living.Even after her death, my mom was still the reason he got up every day and kept fighting.Seeing him smile and talk, so at ease for the first time since I arrived, was wonderful. That’s why we lost track of time reminiscing about our Andreia.“I need to call Marcos,” I murmured, remembering I’d agreed to let him know how things went. “He asked me to reassure him after our talk.”My dad looked at me with eyes full of things to say but only nodded, staying silent.I was grateful for that. My head was already a mess after today. I don’t know how I’d handle it if he started saying good things about Marcos.The phone rang only twice before he answered, sound