Page 91 of His to Cherish

My heart constricted at the thought.

“Fine.” I swallowed a thick lump in my throat. “After school.”

He lowered his voice and leaned in. “Thank you. And I’m so sorry I hurt you. You’re notnobody,Chelsea. I’ve been kicking myself every day for that night, wanting to make it right. Thank you for giving me this.”

My eyes began to burn with tears. He looked so wrecked. The heavy creases that had lined his forehead after Derrick’s death, but had begun softening in recent weeks, were back. Purple bags lined his eyes. He looked…exhausted.

That familiar pull to comfort him flooded my heart.

And damn it. He’d just apologized. Iwantedto forgive him.

“I’ll see you later,” I told him, looking away before he saw that forgiveness was already blossoming in my heart, that I wanted to pull him toward me and wrap my arms around him. But this was the second time he’d hurt me, and while I could forgive him the first, this last one cut deep, even with the apology.

“Thank you, Chelsea.”

When I turned my back to him, my hands were shaking as I gripped the metal book return cart. I heard him let out a deep breath and then soft footsteps walking away from me.