Page 53 of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

“Of course, I’m freaking out! Do you know how much history we have? And how complicated it is? We’ve never crossed the line before. I was always afraid to act on my feelings for him because I didn’t want to lose him as a friend. I didn’t even know he’d been married until this morning!”

“Wait, what? Married?” Lucia sounded shocked. “He’s married?! That snake.”

“No. I mean, not anymore.”

“Divorced.”

I took a deep breath. “He was married years ago,” I said, my voice trembling again. “His wife died in a car accident. And apparently, the memory of me would’ve ruined their marriage anyway, according to him.”

“Oh, Merritt,” Lucia said softly. “That’s a lot to process. You can’t let him put that on you. If he had feelings for you, that’s on him—not you.”

“Easy for you to say,” I replied bitterly, choking back sobs as the harsh truth sank in. “He seemed so hurt. It was like I dug up a past that had been dead to him. Like I went and woke up some ghosts.”

“That doesn’t mean you can take the blame, Merritt. No matter how much it hurts right now, it’s crucial to remember that it takes two people to make a relationship work. If there were unresolved feelings between you two during his marriage, that was on him.”

“He hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you,” she said firmly. “He’s hurt. That’s different. Maybe embarrassed. Guilty. Ashamed.”

I wasn’t so sure. The way he had looked at me, the way he’d spoken to me—it felt like hate. Or at least something dangerously close to it.

“What do I do, Lucia?” I asked, my voice small. “I don’t know how to fix this.”

“You start by giving him some space,” she said. “Let him cool off. He’s not in a place to have a rational conversation right now, and trying to force one will only make it worse.”

“But what if⁠—”

“No buts,” she interrupted. “Trust me on this, Merritt. Space is your best option right now.”

I didn’t like it but I trusted she was right. Kannon was like a wildfire right then, and if I kept reaching out to him, I was only going to get burned.

“Okay,” I said reluctantly. “I’ll give him space.”

“Good.” Her voice softened. “And in the meantime, take care of yourself, okay? You’ve been through a lot the last couple of weeks. You’re an emotional wreck. Self-care is important.”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “Thanks, Lucia. I just feel like I can’t make a right step.”

“You and Kannon have history. He won’t throw it all away over a little curiosity.”

“I hope you’re right,” I said.

“Call me if you need me.”

“I will, thank you.”

We hung up. I put my phone down on the counter, staring at it, and debated calling Kannon. But I was supposed to give him space.

The dinner was left uncooked. I put what I could in the fridge to keep it from going to waste.

I didn’t know how to fix things with Kannon. I didn’t even know if they could be fixed. But one thing was certain.

I wasn’t ready to give up on him. Not yet.

23

KANNON

Islammed the door behind me and didn’t look back. My blood was boiling, and my fists clenched so tightly I thought my knuckles might split. I could still hear Merritt’s voice in my head, asking questions she had no business asking, digging into things I didn’t want to relive. And Riggs—of all people—deciding to throw her a lifeline.