Chapter 347
Dad gently pushes me down into the chair.
“You haven’t lost her,” he says softly, but I’m beyond listening.
“I did,” I snap, shoving the chair back as I stand and start pacing. “She’ll never forgive me. I doubt she’ll ever give me a chance… She’s in love with Adrian now p>
Dad’s expression flickers with surprise, but he masks it quickly.
“Did she say she’s in love with him?” he asks carefully.
I shake my head. “She didn’t have to… It was in the way she said he makes her happy p>
Just thinking about it, just remembering it, sends a sharp, suffocating pain through my chest.
“I know it feels like the world is ending, but nothing is written in stone.” Dad says gently. “It’s never too late p>
“It is,” I breathe, struggling for air. “She was right. How am I supposed to make up for eighteen years of mistakes? Of heartbreak p>
He studies me for a moment before speaking again.
“I thought the same thing when I realized I’d fallen in love with your mother somewhere along the way.” he says quietly, “Even with Ethan out of the picture, I was convinced I didn’t stand a chance knowing how she felt about him p>
“That’s different,” I whisper.
“How?” he asks. “Just like Sierra, your mom had loved me since we were kids, but I never saw her. I only had eyes for Emma and for nine years of our marriage, she had to live with the knowledge that my heart belonged to someone else p>
“But the most you ever did is ignore her.” I swallow hard. “You didn’t go out of your way to hurt her. You didn’t choose lies over her. You didn’t pick her friend over her. You didn’t intentionally break her p>
Dad’s gaze hardens slightly as he asks, “And you think that makes what I did better? You think ignoring her didn’t hurt her?” His voice drops, heavier now. “I left scars on her heart too, Noah because pain is pain no matter how it’s caused, no matter what form it takes p>
He takes a step closer, his eyes locking onto mine. “She spent years believing she wasn’t good enough. Believing no one could ever truly love her… Do you understand that? Do you understand the pain of unrequited love p>
That shuts me up, because no matter what I want to believe… he’s right. Both Mom and Sierra suffered the same fate by loving men who didn’t love them back.
“As long as she isn’t married, you still have a chance, Noah,” he says gently. “You can’t give up on her just yet p>
“So you’re saying I should try even after everything I’ve put her through?” I ask, staring at him like he’s lost his mind. “It’s not right, Dad. I don’t deserve to be in her life. I don’t deserve a second chance. Hell, I don’t even deserve to breathe the same air as her p>
As much as I want to hold on, I can’t stop thinking about her tears, her pain or the scars I left behind. I can’t undo what I’ve done. I can’t fix it. I can’t heal or mend what I broke, so the only thing left to do Is accept that I’ve lost her.
There will be no forgiveness for me. No redemption. Just this endless, aching void where she supposed to be. I sentenced myself to a life without her the moment I chose to hurt her and maybe that’s the punishment I deserve.
Dad sighs and says, “We all make mistakes, Noah. Some worse than others… But what makes the difference is recognizing those mistakes and fixing them.” He pauses, his gaze steady. “You hurt Sierra deeply, but I believe you can fix it. I believe you can earn a second chance p>
“How?” I ask, frustration bleeding into my voice. “She won’t even talk to me or see me… She doesn’t want to hear my apologies p>