Chapter 270: What Now?
Zane~
It was never my intention to hurt Natalie.
I stood there frozen, watching her sob on the golden marble tiles, her small frame shaking as if the world was crumbling around her. My chest tightened so hard it felt like my ribs would snap under the pressure. Damn, this was all my fault. The one thing I swore never to do – make her cry – and here she was, crying because of me.
"Natalie..." I whispered, my voice breaking as it passed my lips.
She lifted her head, and when her teary eyes met mine, I swear the ground beneath me trembled. Her sky blue eyes were swollen red, her cheeks blotched and glistening with tears. Even then, she was so damn beautiful that it hurt to look at her.
"I’m sorry," I choked out as I dropped to my knees in front of her. "I didn’t mean to make you cry. I hate seeing you cry, Nat. I... I can’t stand it."
She sniffled softly, biting her trembling lip. "I didn’t mean to blurt out what I said earlier about Alex. I don’t want you to think I’m trying to take him away from Emma. I’m sorry, Zane."
"No, no, sweetheart." I reached forward and cupped her cheeks with both hands, forcing her to look into my eyes. "You weren’t wrong for what you said. I just... I needed some time to think, I swear. I love you, Natalie. Goddess knows, I love you so much it scares me."
A small smile trembled onto her lips as tears slipped down her face. She leaned into my touch, her fingers wrapping around my wrists. "I love you too, Zane."
I pulled her into my chest, hugging her tightly like I could shield her from every cruel twist of fate. Her warmth seeped into me, calming the violent storm in my chest for a moment. I buried my face in her hair, breathing in the scent of honey, vanilla, and wildflowers.
"I feel so guilty," I confessed quietly. "Emma... she was an orphan before she died. Alex was all she had. And now... now I feel like I’m robbing her of the one thing that kept her name alive."