“Yes?” I laced my hands under my chin.
He cleared his throat, looking visibly uncomfortable. “There is another reason I brought you to this restaurant tonight.”
I dropped my hands and sat straighter, sensing a new level of seriousness. “What reason?”
“When we sat here the first time, I was not honest about who I was.” He placed his palms on the table. “If it is acceptable to you, I would like a do-over.”
My pulse roared in my ears. It was everything I had dreamed of, and yet, sitting there at that crucial moment, the only thing I felt was terror.
CHAPTER10
GEORGIA
“Rodrigo…” I licked my lips, my mind and heart racing.
“Olá,” someone suddenly said, and I jumped at the arrival of a waitress.
“Olá,” I mumbled, making a point to look at her and not Rodrigo.
“Would you like to hear our specials tonight?” She launched into them, but I didn’t hear a word. My thoughts were entirely on what Rodrigo had just said.
“I’ll take whatever your specialty is,” I said. “And a glass of red.”
“The same.” Rodrigo handed over his menu.
The waitress left, but we didn’t fall back into conversation right away. The mood felt heavy and uncertain.
Rodrigo studied me. “I know you must hate me.”
“I don’t hate you,” I said, before I had time to really consider whether or not I did.
His lips drew thin. He didn’t believe me. “I’m sorry for the way I acted our last night. It was wrong of me.”
A crack formed in the wall I hadn’t wanted to let down. Being mad at Rodrigo was easy. Forgiving him was hard, because once I did that I opened myself up to all sorts of other feelings. Grief. Love.
As horribly as we’d ended, I’d never had a romance that sparkled even half as much as ours had. Deep inside, I’d continued to love him.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He ran his hand over his face. “I owe you an explanation.”
My breath caught in my chest, and the room tilted. For years, I’d dreamed of this moment. Even after running into him again, though, I hadn’t dared hope for it. It seemed too big of a gift, and I didn’t want to appear desperate.
Rodrigo’s throat rolled with a swallow. “I told you that my family owned a construction business…”
“More like a conglomerate,” I said.
“Yes.” He tensed. “That’s not true.”
My eyelashes fluttered. “O-kay. Why would you say that if it wasn’t true?”
“It wasn’t just to you. I told everyone at school that.”
I crossed my arms. “This isn’t helping.”
He sighed. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“You said you want a do-over. We’re in the same spot where you lied to me in the first place.” I gestured around us. “I’m leaving soon. I can’t think of a better moment.”