Hunter steps closer, just enough that his presence pressesagainst my back. “Say the wrong thing and I’ll show you exactly what kind of bite I have.”
Landon scoffs. “Guess I should be flattered you think I’m a threat.”
Hunter doesn’t respond.
I roll my eyes, stepping between them. “Boys, this is dinner, not a boxing match.” I throw a glance over my shoulder at Hunter. “And you—you are staying right here.”
Hunter stares me down, eyes dark, challenging. But he lets me turn away and doesn't follow me when I move to the door. “I’ll be watching.”
I sigh dramatically, pushing the door open. “Yeah, yeah. Big scary alpha watching the omega, we all get it.”
Landon chuckles under his breath, stepping inside after me.
The moment the waitress leaves, he leans back, watching me carefully. “You’re still the same.”
I arch a brow, plucking a chip from the basket and dipping it into salsa. Act unaffected. Don’t react. “You’re not.”
His lips press together, his hands clasping on the table. “No. I’m not.”
The weight behind his words pulls something tight in my chest. I don’t want to feel bad for him. I don’t. But damn it, something’s different.
He exhales, running a hand down his face before looking at me again. “I owe you the truth and an apology.”
I pop the chip into my mouth, feigning indifference. “Yeah, you do.”
His throat bobs. Nervous. He should be.
“Dee—” he starts, then stops, blowing out a sharp breath. “What you saw…I knew you were watching. I did it on purpose.”
A knife twists in my chest. I knew this already. Buthearing it? Confirming it? Is he here to break me even more? Maybe make the piece he shattered before become dust instead?
I reach for another chip, something to keep my hands busy, my mouth occupied, so I don’t say something I’ll regret. Something that will cut too deep.
Landon leans forward. “I was scared, Willow. I was stupid, and I was scared, and when I saw how much you believed in us—how much you trusted me—” He breaks off, shaking his head. “I panicked.”
I grip the edge of the table. “So you kissed another girl?”
“I knew you’d leave if I did,” he says quietly. “I knew you’d never look back.”
A sharp, bitter laugh spills from my lips. “Congrats, then. It worked.”
His eyes squeeze shut. “Yeah. It did.”
The food arrives, but I barely notice. My stomach is too tight and uneasy.
Landon lifts his gaze, something broken behind his eyes. “It was a mistake. A really stupid mistake. I didn’t come after you because I thought I’d already done enough damage. That I owed you your freedom.” His voice drops. “But I never stopped loving you.”
Something deep inside me cracks wide open. My fingers tighten around my fork. My pulse pounds in my ears. I am not ready for this conversation. But I can’t look away from him either.
Landon’s waiting. Waiting for me to say something. And I have no idea what the hell I’m supposed to say.
What can I say to that?
I shake my head, my grip tightening on my fork, my throat constricting around every sharp-edged emotion clawing its way up. Denying his words.
“What you did—” My voice is quiet but edged, raw. “That’s not love, Landon.” My eyes snap to his, flashing with something just as wounded as it is furious. “It isn’t even in the same universe as love.”
Landon flinches, my words hitting hard. Good. Because he needs to feel exactly how much he broke me.
