âWhy didnât you reach out to me later that evening?â Raegan inquired.
Heaven knew the desolation she experienced upon glimpsing the empty screen of her phone in the morning.
Previously, Mitchel would persist with his messages even if she didnât respond.
He would at least inquire, âAre you asleep?â
Label her capricious or accuse her of anything, but in relationships, women frequently tend to be more attentive to these minute details.
Particularly someone like Raegan, who had undergone therapy for psychological concerns.
She was more attuned to any subtle shifts, perpetually questioning if the other person had changed or if she had erred.
People like her crave constant reassurance to ease their worries.
Mitchelâs voice resonated with a subdued yet captivating tone as he confessed, âI feared you were asleep.
â
To Raegan, this explanation seemed like a mere justification.
For her, reaching out first was a clear indicator of her willingness to communicate openly.
She couldnât fathom how someone as perceptive as Mitchel couldnât grasp that.
Admittedly, Mitchel comprehended her perspective, yet he grappled with his own bouts of insecurity as well.
For someone who had previously exuded excessive arrogance, I acknowledging â such vulnerabilities proved to be a challenging feat.
But for Raeganâs sake, Mitchel admitted, âI wasnât certain about what was on your mind.
If I posed another question, I was worried you might see me as bothersome, and Iâm scared of you disliking meâ¦â
In Mitchelâs subdued tone, Raegan detected a hint of insecurity.
She was taken aback.
When did this proud man, perennially admired by others, begin to harbor feelings of insecurity? She was rendered speechless.
However, Raegan nursed a sense of grievance.
She had waited for him in his office, only to drift off to sleep, awakening to darkness and chill, abandoned and on the verge of freezing.
âWhy didnât you come back to your office to find me earlier?â Her voice was soft, with a hint of pain.
Just contemplating the darkness and chill reignited the feeling of unfairness all over again.
Had she not lingered in anticipation of sharing her thoughts with him, she wouldnât have inadvertently drifted off to sleep on the couch, subsequently finding herself locked in by mistake.
âItâs my fault,â Mitchel said.
âItâs entirely my fault.
I promise, I wonât abandon you like that again.
â
Despite contemplating giving up, when Erick suggested he distance himself from Raegan, it felt like his heart was being torn out.
It was only then Mitchel realized he still desired Raegan to spend their rest of lives together.
If Raegan agreed to be with him, he was determined not to give up.
Despite his restricted mobility, Mitchel was resolved to do everything in his power to protect Raegan for as long as he could.
When he learned Raeganâs marriage with Stefan was a sham, he no longer wanted to stand by idly.
He yearned to become an integral part of her life, as well as that of their children.
They held the utmost significance to him in this world.
Raegan blushed in response.
How had Mitchel undergone such a swift transformation? Wasnât he distant just a short while ago? Yet now, he was articulating everything she longed to hear.
However, Raegan still harbored some anger about being left alone.
Wanting to vent, she said, âYou claim you wonât abandon me, but Iâm already married.
Are you intending to become involved as the âother manâ?â
Mitchelâs gaze flickered slightly, realizing that Raegan was unaware of the fact that he knew the truth.
âIâm willing to risk my reputation for you,â he replied.
Raegan was stunned, her mind reeling with astonishment.
âYouâd be willing to be the âother manâ?â
Mitchel gazed deeply at her.
âAs long as you donât despise me, we can be together.
â
His heart raced with emotion as he spoke these words.
Sweat dampened his palms, feeling as if he stood at a crossroads of being chosen for the first time in his life.
He feared Raegan might reject him now.
But he was desperate to resolve this issue.
Each crisis, that suffocating sensation akin to his heart halting, underscored the truth that life offered no promises of a âlater,â only the immediacy of the ânow.
â