His lips curve into a bitter smile.
He softly nods.
“Yes, you did. Back then, when we met in that bathroom.”
“Okay... Yes, I did, but only because things had played differently in my head. I thought I was not enough for you, and you left because of that. I always knew you had a good side. It shined through in your love for Emma and Sara. But you didn’t let me get close to that side of you. At least not then. That’s why I felt used and abandoned.”
I stare blankly at the pool before looking back to him.
“And then I ran into you on that terrace. A new man. Well-off, laid back, laughing with a beautiful woman. It made me jealous. That’s where the hatred stemmed from, but I never truly hated you,” I murmur.
He keeps his eyes lowered.
“I didn’t,” I say, sliding my hand over his.
He raises his eyes.
“You have to believe me.”
“I do,” he says and smiles before giving me a soft kiss on my lips.
He smells like sugar and vanilla.
I run my tongue over my lip.
“You’re so sweet,” I say, grinning.
“I am, aren’t I?”
He pulls a folded napkin from a chair and runs it over his lips when one of the children books slides to the ground.
His gaze lands on the cover, a thought flitting through his eyes.
“Since when do you read children books?” he asks.
Flashing a mysterious smile, he picks it off the ground and sets it on the table.
“It’s a product review.”
“Hmm… And what do you think?”
I take the Baby Bear book in my hand and sift through the pages.
“They’re actually very good, and the illustrations are well drawn. They remind me of your drawings.”
His lips curve into a grin.
“Why are you so entertained?” I ask.
“No reason.”
“They do look like yours, don’t they?”
He nods.
“Yeah, they do. Because they’re mine.”
My mouth falls open.