Page 160 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

He went still.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” she said with a small, strained laugh. “I already figured it out.”

A knot formed in Ody’s stomach.

“I asked him,” she continued. “I thought there was someone else.”

Ody blinked. “You talked to Mano?”

She held his gaze. “So?” she pressed. “Is there?”

He let out a breath, closing his eyes, his head dropping. “Anna…” His voice barely held. He looked at her. “What I’m about to say… It’s going to hurt you.”

Her expression shifted.

He dragged a hand over his face, breathing uneven. “I—” The word broke.

“Ody, you’re scaring me.”

He shut his eyes for a moment. Then forced them open. “For the past two months Mano and I have been together.”

Anna didn’t react. She just stood there, staring at him. Her lips parted, but no sound came out at first. “…What?”

He forced himself to keep going. “He broke up with me. That’s why I’m like this.” His face crumpled. “I’m in love with him. I’m sorry.”

Anna’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?” Her voice barely came out.

“I know I should’ve told you sooner,” Ody said through blurred vision. “I should’ve at least saved what we had these past two years... but I couldn’t.” He dragged a hand over his face. “I tried so many times to tell you. It was too hard. I’m sorry.”

Her breath hitched. “Two months…” she whispered. “Since Serifos.” Her gaze dropped, then snapped back up. “You were with him… while you were with me?”

Ody didn’t answer.

“You slept next to me… and then went to him?”

“I’m sorry,” he sobbed, lowering his head.

A hollow laugh left her. “I told him I was scared of losing you. That I thought there was someone else.” She shook her head. “And he just… listened.”

“It’s not Mano’s fault, Anna.”

“Don’t—” She shut her eyes. “Don’t say another word.” She drew in a sharp breath. “We were on vacation together… And you were with him?” She swallowed. “I’ve been going back and forth for days, trying to convince myself I could handle whatever you said. I went through it all. If you said nothing was wrong. If you said you loved me. If you told me there was someone else…” She shook her head. “I could’ve handled that. But not this… not the lies. Not two months of pretending.”

Ody kept his head down, eyes shut.

“You yelled at me,” she broke down, tears flooding her eyes. “Told me to stop touching you. Remember that?”

Ody looked at her, but couldn’t hold her gaze.

“I was looking for you at the beach bar… and you were with him.” Her voice broke. “And when he got drunk… you took him back to the hotel.”

She covered her mouth, her hand trembling, and looked away. When she looked back at Ody, her expression had gone blank. “He needed to go to the bank, and you offered to take him…” She let out a broken laugh. “You just wanted an excuse to be alone with him.”

Ody lifted his tear-streaked eyes to hers, saying nothing.

“The watch he gave you…” She shook her head, trying to make sense of it. “You even went to Patra together…” Her breath hitched, a sharp inhale breaking through. “You introduced him to your parents…” She let out a sob, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. “When we talked on video call… he walked into your room and you hung up on me.” Her voice shook, words catching on her breath. “You went to Volos, just the two of you. Oh God…” She covered her face with both hands, breaking into sobs.

Ody sat there, head down, tears slipping down his face.