CHAPTER 53 I Want to Start Over with You

　　My tightly clenched hands slackened as I reluctantly let Daniel hold them.

　　"Kate," he said, leaning closer, his grip tightening. "I know you still love me. Being with Lucas is just your way of getting back at me, isn't it?"

　　The smell of alcohol on his breath made me nauseous. I forced myself to look at the unmoving shadow on the floor, lingering there for several moments before I answered, each word a knife slicing through me.

　　"Yes. I wanted to spite you. Watching you and Chloe flaunt your love every moment was unbearable. I hated how you treated me."

　　Every syllable felt like self-torture, the pain in my heart as if something had been carved out.

　　Daniel's face lit up at my words. He sat on the bed and hugged me tightly.

　　"Kate, I was a fool. I shouldn't have hurt you. Please forgive me. You've missed me too, haven't you?"

　　I stared at the shadow on the floor, swallowing the metallic taste rising in my throat. Forcing myself, I whispered a single word.