Page 105 of Please, Forgive Me
“Come here, buddy!” I tried to sound firm, but the laughter gave me away.
Finally, I managed to get close enough to grab the vibrator from his mouth. When I did, Max looked up at me with those mischievous eyes, like he knew exactly what he was doing.
“You really don’t have a clue, do you?” I said, petting his head while still laughing. “At least you know how to make me forget about my problems, even if it’s just for a minute.”
After tucking the vibrator away somewhere much safer, I sank onto the couch, and Max curled up at my feet. He let out a content sigh, and I felt a pang of guilt for laughing at something so trivial when there was still so much weighing on my mind.
Diego’s request lingered in my thoughts. Maybe Max had the right idea, in his simple, dog way. Maybe I needed to find a way to let go a little too—to stop holding on so tightly to my fears and just let Clara have a relationship with her brother.
But that was easier said than done.
Deep down, I knew I wasn’t just protecting Clara. I was protecting myself. From Diego. From everything he represented. And maybe… from something I wasn’t ready to admit yet.
Max gave my hand a gentle lick, as if he knew I needed a little comfort.
“We’ll see how this all plays out, Max,” I murmured, staring up at the ceiling.“One step at a time.”
In the end, I’d accepted that it was inevitable.
Diego was coming to my apartment with Arthur so he could meet his little sister. As much as I wanted to keep my distance, I knew I couldn’t keep Clara from having some kind of relationship with her brother—no matter how complicated things were between Diego and me.
The buzzer rang, announcing their arrival. I took a deep breath and tried to brace myself for what was coming. I hated the way my heart sped up, as if some part of me was still tethered to the man who had hurt me so many times.
I knew his presence still got to me—and I hated that, too.
When I opened the door, I saw Arthur first, his curious, wide-eyed expression so much like the day I’d found him lost in the company hallways months ago.
He smiled at me, that pure kind of smile that had nothing to do with the tangled mess of feelings I had for his father.
“Hey, Arthur,” I greeted warmly, trying to push the weight of the situation aside. “Ready to meet your baby sister?”
Arthur nodded, eyes shining with excitement, but then his gaze drifted toward Diego, standing just behind him. My smile faded the instant our eyes met.
“Hi,” Diego said quietly, his voice careful, like he knew he was stepping onto dangerous ground.
“Hi,” I replied, colder than I meant to, unable to hide the resentment still burning somewhere inside me.
Even if I tried, I knew he could feel it—the way my eyes challenged him, questioning every word, every move.
Arthur, blissfully unaware of the emotional storm hanging between us, ran into the apartment with all the energy of a kid about to discover something wonderful.
He went straight to Clara’s crib, and I followed, pushing the tension aside for the kids’ sake.
“This is Clara, your baby sister,” I said softly, trying to let him feel all the love I had for my daughter through my tone.
Arthur’s eyes went wide with wonder as he looked at Clara’s tiny sleeping face. He hesitated to touch her, so I took hishand gently and guided it to her arm. Clara stirred slightly at his touch.
“She’s so little…” Arthur whispered, as if he were afraid of waking her.
“She is,” I said, smiling. “And you’re going to be an amazing big brother—I can already tell.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Diego watching us, his expression unreadable. He looked torn—between emotion and restraint—as if he wasn’t sure how to fit into this new picture.
“Can I hold her?” Arthur asked suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Of course.” I carefully lifted Clara and placed her in his arms, helping him steady her tiny body.
As Arthur held Clara, Diego stepped closer. He was nearer than I wanted him to be, and the closeness made every muscle in my body tighten.
