Page 43 of Sweetly Yours

Willow shifts slightly, her head resting on my shoulder as she draws lazy circles on my chest with her finger. Her touch is gentle, soothing, but I can feel the weight of unspoken words in the air.

“Brock?” she murmurs, her voice quiet.

“Yeah, baby?” I reply, brushing my fingers lightly over her arm.

She hesitates, her hand stilling against my chest. “Can you... tell me about you and Tessa? What happened between you two?”

My chest tightens, and I exhale slowly, my hand pausing mid-stroke. “Willow, I don’t—”

“You don’t have to,” she says quickly, sitting up slightly to look at me. “I just... I think I need to understand. If it’s her doing this, I want to know why.”

I meet her eyes, seeing the mixture of curiosity and vulnerability there. She deserves to know. I owe her that much.

I sigh, leaning my head back against the headboard. “Alright,” I say finally. “But it’s not a pretty story.”

She nods, settling back against me, her head on my shoulder. “I just want to know the truth.”

“Tessa and I met a few years ago,” I begin, my voice low, my hand resting on Willow’s arm. “She was... bold. Confident. The kind of woman who could walk into a room and command attention without even trying. At first, I thought that was what I wanted—someone strong, someone who kept things exciting.”

Willow’s fingers trace slow circles on my chest as she listens, her quiet presence grounding me.

“But as time went on, I started to see the cracks,” I continue. “She wasn’t just confident—she needed control. She wanted to be the center of everything, and if she wasn’t, she’d find a way to take it. It was subtle at first—pushing boundaries, testing limits, playing little games to make me jealous.”

I pause, exhaling slowly. “I ignored the red flags for a long time, thinking things would get better. But then one night... she crossed a line I couldn’t come back from.”

Willow looks up at me, her honey-colored eyes soft with concern. “What happened?” she asks gently.

I swallow hard, the memory still sharp. “She cheated,” I say simply. “Just once. At least, as far as I know. But that was enough.”

Willow’s breath catches, her hand stilling on my chest. “Brock...”

“I found out a few days later,” I continue, my voice steady but tight. “She told me it didn’t mean anything, that it was a mistake, but... I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t look at her and feel the same way after that. That kind of betrayal... it changes everything.”

Willow’s hand tightens on my shirt, and I can see the sadness in her eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers.

I shake my head. “Don’t be. It needed to happen. I think part of me already knew things weren’t right between us—I just didn’t want to admit it. Finding out about the cheating made it clear. I didn’t want to be with someone who could betray me like that. Someone I couldn’t trust.”

She leans into me, her head resting on my shoulder. “Do you think that’s why she’s doing all this now? Because you moved on?”

I nod slowly. “Tessa doesn’t like to lose. And seeing me happy with you? That probably feels like a loss to her. She doesn’t want me, not really—but she doesn’t want me to be with anyone else either.”

Willow exhales shakily, her voice small. “Do you think she’ll stop?”

I tilt her chin up, meeting her eyes. “No,” I say honestly. “Not on her own. But I’m not going to let her hurt you, Willow. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”

Her lips part slightly, and for a moment, she just looks at me, like she’s trying to decide if she believes me. Then she nods, her voice soft but sure.

“I trust you,” she whispers.

“And I love you,” I murmur, pulling her close. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

WILLOW

Istare at him, my breath catching in my throat as his words echo in my mind.

I love you.

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