Page 59 of Rival Hearts

When she turned to leave, I stepped in front of her. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t look up and instead tried to step again.

I stepped with her. “I’m sorry.” The tightness in my chest was like a vice, reminding me how much I cared, how sorry I was. Whatever I’d done wrong, I wanted to put it right. I’d apologize a thousand times, a million times, as many times as it took to get her to look at me the way she had in my bed when she’d asked me to stay.

Her brown eyes scanned my face. “I don’t forgive you.” Her voice was thick with unshed tears.

Putting my hands under her armpits, I lifted her onto the counter and smoothed back her hair. Her gray skirt rode up her thighs. “I’m sorry.” I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. The apology wasn’t just for whatever I’d done this time—it was for everything I’d done in the past too.

She sighed, her eyes closed. “I don’t forgive you,” she whispered.

Cupping her face in my hands, I kissed her temple and murmured in her ear. “I’m sorry.” I was sorry for so many things.I wasn’t even sure I needed the truth anymore. If whatever had happened would rip us apart, I didn’t want to know any of it.

A tear slipped down her cheek, and I scooped it up with my thumb.

“I don’t want to feel this way anymore,” Maggie choked out.

“Me neither,” I admitted, kissing her cheek.

“Being around you hurts.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” I found her earlobe with my lips, nibbling.

She sucked in a sharp breath, her hands sliding along my shoulders. Silence lapsed between us as I feathered kisses across her skin, reveling in the softness, letting me worship her.

“Did you sleep with Sabrina?”

Her words broke the bubble of longing encircling us. For a moment, I didn’t move, processing her words. Frowning, I rocked back on my heel, examining her face. She was serious. “No. Not since I’ve been back.”

“Why was she at your house?”

Grimacing, I hesitated and laced my fingers with Maggie’s, my thumb caressing the back of her hand. “I made a poor choice and let her spend the night.”

“But you didn’t sleep with her.”

I shook my head, meeting her gaze. “I slept beside her. We didn’t have sex.”

“Like with me.”

“Not even close. Iwantedyou there. Ilether stay. Might not seem like a big difference, but it is.”

She searched my face, and I held her gaze each time our eyes made contact. “She came to my pharmacy for emergency contraceptive.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I shouldn’t have said that. What is wrong with me?”

“Emergency contraceptive?” With my fingers, I tucked stray strands of Maggie’s hair behind her ear. God, I wanted to kiss her. The kind of kiss which only led in one direction.

“That was unprofessional, I shouldn’t have—”

“Probably for the best. She doesn’t need more kids.” Her lips were a soft coral color. What would they taste like? Strawberry lip balm the last time.

She smacked me in the chest, forcing my gaze from her lips to her eyes. “She implied the pill was because ofyou, and I shouldn’t even be telling you this because it’s wrong, and I don’t know what’s gotten into me…”

My eyes widened, realization dawning. I framed Maggie’s face with my hands. “That’swhy you’re so upset?”

“She said you’d never gotten over her. You said that to her.”

“Overher?” I scoffed. “I never said that. I wouldn’t have. It’s not true. I was over her probably even when I was with her in high school. Makes me sound like a shitty person. But that’s the truth.”

“So, you and her…”

---