Page 8 of Built to Hate You

“I mean…if I had just met him, then yes, I’d want to. He seems like a great guy now. He’s kind, hardworking, selfless…”

“And handsome.”

“Mom.”

She smiles. “I’m sorry. Go on.”

“Fine. He’s handsome. But even with all of those attractive qualities…I just don’t know if I can get over the old Axel.”

She nods. “You might be right. But you might be wrong, too. I can’t tell you what to do, Mia. But if you listen to your heart, I think you’ll figure out the right thing for you.”

* * *

I tell Axel yes.

* * *

The following night,even though I insist that we can meet halfway, he makes the hour-long trip to pick me up. He takes me to this little restaurant down by the pier, and we sit out on the patio beneath the string lights and the cloud-streaked night sky. It’s a romantic setting if ever there was one. I’m still feeling cautious, though.

And Axel must be able to tell, because midway through our appetizers, he smiles at me gently and says, “How’s it going over there?”

I feign obliviousness. “The crab cakes are great. How’s your soup?”

“Delicious,” he says. “But that’s not what I was asking.”

I take a sip of my wine. I look over at him and force myself to be honest. Yes, he’s attractive. He’sexceedinglyattractive. In all kinds of ways. And it doesn’t make me a horrible person for wanting someone who wronged me—not when that person is trying to atone for it. Not when that person has truly changed.

“I’m good,” I say, relaxing my shoulders. “I’m happy we’re here.”

“Me too,” says Axel. “Hey, tell me more about the freelance work you do. You said you’re a copyrighter?”

I nod. I tell him about how I got into it, the type of clients I have, and what my days are typically like. He seems genuinely interested in everything I’m telling him. And when I ask him about his construction business, his eyes light up with excitement as he talks about it. I love how passionate he is.

Over the next two hours, we continue to eat delicious food and talk. We talk about our favorite music, our favorite books, the places we’d love to travel to, our favorite kinds of dogs. And when the subject of family comes up, he tells me about his brother, who I had no idea about. As soon as he talks about his brother’s death, something clicks and I understand that it contributed to Axel becoming the person he was in high school. And not that it makes it all okay, but it makes more sense now.

After dinner, we walk along the pier, looking out at the boats in the harbor and the soft glow of reflected lights shimmering on the water. There’s a little park at one end of the marina, and we linger there.

“God, look how beautiful the moon is,” Axel says.

I look up. It’s more vibrantly bright than I’ve seen in ages. “Wow. It is.”

I can feel Axel’s gaze move over to me, and I meet his eyes. My heartbeat catches. He’s definitely going to kiss me. And part of me really wants him to. Part of me is absolutely burning for him. But the other part…

“Wait, Axel,” I say softly.

He stops. He nods. “It’s okay. I won’t.”

“I’m still getting used to…well, the way I feel about you now.”

His lips break into a grin. “And howdoyou feel about me?”

“I like you.” I bite my lip. “I want you.”

“I want you, too, Mia.”

“I just need a little more time.”

“I get it,” he says. “And I’m willing to wait. It might feel a little torturous. But I’m willing to endure it. Because you’re more than worth it. You’re worth the world.”

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