“I don’t hate her,” he mumbles, his eyes lowering to the dirt at his feet.
I blow out a breath. “I know. You hate the situation, but just try to let it go. Give us a chance, because I refuse to believe I’ve been blessed with a mate that isn’t yours too.”
His shoulders tremble, and for a long moment he says nothing. Then finally, in a voice so quiet, I almost miss it, he says. “I’m scared.”
I nod. “I know.”
Remy turns his face toward me, and the raw emotion in his eyes nearly breaks me. “But what if I’m too late? What if there’s no place for me now?”
“There is,” I promise. “There’s a place for us both. You just need to let yourself believe it. I haven’t told any of them I feel the bond yet. I didn’t want to overwhelm her, and I want us to do it together.”
He stares at me for a long beat, his expression unreadable. Then, with a broken breath, he leans forward and rests his forehead against my shoulder.
I wrap an arm around him. It’s not often he accepts affection, so when he does, it feels good to hug him, to have him need me. He doesn’t cry, not exactly, but his whole body shudders like he’s been holding himself together too long and is only now allowing himself to shatter.
“We’ll figure this out,” I whisper. “Together”
He nods against me, silent and shaking “How do I even start? How do I fix the damage I’ve already done?” finally
I don’t answer right away. I just hold him while he falls apart. The morning light creeps over us, sharing its warmth like it knew we needed it.
When Remy finally pulls back, he looks wrecked, but lighter somehow. Like he’s given himself permission to hope again, and that’s enough for now. That’s a start.
“How do I fix it?” he asks again, his voice raspy. “I’ve already given her such a terrible impression of me.”
& Chapter
“You start by showing her who you really are,” I say. “Not the beta. Not the guy who hides behind bitterness because he’s afraid she’ll figure out how much he’s already hurting. Show her you, Remy”
He scoffs softly. “I don’t think she wants to see that.”
“She hasn’t seen it yet,” I shrug. “You’ve given her every reason not to. But that doesn’t mean it’s too late. Not if you try.” there. “I
He drags his sleeve across his face, wiping away the last of the tears, pretending they were never the don’t know how to be someone she’d want to keep.”
“You don’t have to be someone else,” I tell him. “You just have to stop hiding. If you are her mate, then she will love who you are. You were made for her, and her for you.”
His eyes flick to mine. “What if she never feels the bond?”
“Then she doesn’t. Don’t forget, she is human. They don’t feel it the same way we do anyway,” I say simply. “But you’ll still know you tried, and maybe, just maybe, when the pain and anger are not screaming so loud inside you, you’ll feel it too.”
He exhales a shaky breath and nods slowly. “I want to believe that.”
“Then let’s give you something to believe in.”
Remy looks down at the earth beneath our feet like it might offer him courage. “I’ve given her every reason to hate me, Parker. Not because she did anything wrong… but because she took him without effort, because he looked at her like she was his future, and I was just his past.”
I reach out and grip his shoulder again. “She’s not your rival, Rem. She might be your rado
His lips twitch like he wants to smile. your redemption.”
“I’m not asking you to be okay overnight,” I say. “But maybe today… you stop shutting her out. Maybe your just look at her, and let her look back. Don’t make her uncomfortable or feel unwelcome.”
He nods slowly, his expression uncertain, but there’s hope there too.
“I’ll try,” he whispers. “I can’t promise more than that.”
“That’s enough for now,” I say. “It’s more than enough.”
“Okay,” he breathes.
I turn back toward the house, and he walks beside me.
I stay quiet, not wanting to spook him, but I can’t keep the grin from my face as we walk. I feel like we are on the brink of securing our future with our mate, and that fills me with a giddy excitement I’ve not experienced since I was a child and Ronnie was explaining fated mates to us.
**Paige’s POV **
After breakfast, Callen heads upstairs to shower and Jaxon starts begging to use the big bath before school this afternoon.
“Please, mummy, just a quick one,” he pleads.
“Okay, but let me shower and get dressed first,” I smile, leaning over to ruffle his hair.
“Yes! Did you hear that, dad? She said yes,” he bounces excitedly on the stool.
Ryder smiles at us over his shoulder from the sink where he’s running water to wash the dishes. “I did, bud.
“Are you excited about going to school today?” I ask.
“Yes,” he nods enthusiastically, “but not as excited about swimming in the bath.”
“I can bathe him while you shower,” Ryder offers, and Jaxon bounces in his chair again, pleading with his eyes and clasping his hands together.
I can sense Ryder’s hesitation. He’s unsure if he’s overstepping, worried I don’t trust him enough yet.
“Do you even know how?” I ask, raising a brow at Rye.
“Believe it or not, I’ve been washing myself for most of my life,” Ryder smirks, drying his hands on a tea towel.
“You’ll not be smirking like that if you get shampoo in his eyes, and he screams the house down. Didn’t you say you have sensitive ears?” I tease.
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