“I didn’t know,” she continued. “Tessa, I didn’t know…”
My jaw tightened.
“I told you,” I said quietly.
Silence.
Heavy.
Painful.
“I thought…” her voice broke. “I thought you were just trying to—”
“To save myself?” I finished.
Another silence.
Then—
“Yes.”
The honesty of it hit harder than I expected.
Not because it was new.
Because it wasn’t.
“I wasn’t,” I said.
“I see that now.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
Seven years too late.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
My chest tightened.
But it didn’t break me.
Not this time.
“I can’t do this right now,” I said.
“I understand,” she said quickly. “I just… I needed you to know… I’m sorry.”
I swallowed hard.
“Okay.”
It wasn’t forgiveness.
Not yet.
But it was something.
“I’ll call you later,” she said.
