Mitchel gently brushed her hair back from her face, looking at her with tender eyes.
âLook, Iâm perfectly okay.
â
Raegan noticed he didnât seem to take her concerns seriously, and a spark of anger ignited in her.
âIf this happens again, I swear Iâll stop talking to you.
I mean it!â
Mitchel nodded.
âI promise, Iâll be more careful.
â
But internally, he added a silent exception for anything that involved Raegan.
That was one promise he found impossible to keep.
His calm deserted him when it came to her.
Every moment she was out of sight, he couldnât find peace.
Suddenly, Mitchel asked her, âRaegan, are you willing to be with me?â
These words seemed to carry a special kind of magic.
Tears filled Raeganâs eyes as she listened.
To be with him meant sharing both joys and sorrows.
Yet, since his return, Mitchel had shouldered all the difficulties, protecting her from any distress.
How could she not keep falling for him, time and again?
Perhaps saying âfalling for him time and againâ wasnât quite accurate.
It was more that their hearts had always been connected.
A mix of pain and joy swelled in Raeganâs chest.
In a soft whisper, she began, âActuallyâ¦â
She finally revealed the truth.
âMy wedding with Stefan was a sham.
â
âIâm aware,â Mitchel replied tenderly.
Raegan, taken aback, asked, âHow did you know?â
âErick told me,â Mitchel replied.
Raegan was left speechless.
She couldnât decide whether to call her brother a fool or a good helper.
âSo youâve known about it all along? Then why didnât youâ¦â she started, but then hesitated.
Seeing her pause, Mitchel asked, âDidnât what?â
Raeganâs cheeks flushed, embarrassed to say it aloud.
She meant to ask how he had kept his feelings hidden for so long.
Then it struck her.
Maybe his pretending not to know was a sign that he didnât care as much anymore.
A mix of annoyance and insecurity surged through Raegan.
âDo you⦠Do you not feel the same about me anymore?â
Raegan was consumed by the sense of insecurity.
Maybe his recent suggestion that they be together was just for the sake of their kids, to give them a complete family.
Not because he still harbored feelings for her.
This thought terrified Raegan.
What if Mitchelâs feelings for her had indeed faded? In that case, she would keep her feelings hidden.
She would love him, but she refused to love without self-respect as she once did.
Mitchel, however, grasped her hand and placed it over his heart.
âListen to this.
Does it seem like Iâm indifferent?â