Semua Bab Play Me Like You Mean It: Bab 71 - Bab 73

Living with the guilt was worse than the act itself. It was slower, eating at me steadily like swallowing glass one piece at a time.I kept waiting for the day it would dull, but it didn’t. It sat under my skin, humming.There was no one I could tell. Jesse was too young; Drew would dramatize it; and Zayne, he was the last person who should ever hear the truth, and he was far away in Canada.That left Romi.She’d been scarce lately since landing a better job. I’d practically bullied her out of that depressing café months ago, and now she managed events for a fashion startup. Her voice on the phone sounded lighter than I’d ever heard it.“It’s my day off today,” she said. “You sound weird. Are you alright? You know what, come over.”I didn’t think twice. I grabbed my keys and drove, gripping the wheel tight while vibing to trap songs, letting the beat distract me.When I got to Romi’s apartment, she opened the door barefoot, hair piled up. Her space was warm, small, and messy in the be

I just kept staring at Zayne, waiting for him to laugh and say he was joking.How did we get to the part where he was asking me to marry him?But the longer I looked, the more I realized he was serious. There was no trace of humor in his face, only the weight of every word he had said.“Zayne,” I breathed, trying to laugh, trying to find some balance. “You can’t be serious. You probably didn’t think this through.”“I did.” His voice was firm, not a hint of doubt in it. “I’m tired, Mira. Tired of pretending that what we have isn’t worth fighting for. I don’t want to keep circling the pain. I want to start over.”The weight of his forgiveness settled against my chest until it hurt to breathe. It was too much, too kind, and I didn’t deserve it, definitely not this soon.“Why?” I asked softly. “Why do you still want me after everything?”His answer came without pause. “Because I still believe in us, even when you don’t. I want to teach you how to love me.”My heart ached in the most tende