I let her speak. I had to. Every word cut deep—but I knew I deserved it. Still, there was one thing I couldn't stay silent about.
"You think I was flirting with them?" I finally said, my voice low, rough. "Atasha… those girls you saw? They're my sisters."
Her expression shifted, barely—confusion blinking through the pain. I stepped closer, careful not to crowd her.
"They're twins. We used to be inseparable, a perfect trio. But a few months ago, they had a huge fallout over something personal and stopped talking. I've been trying to get them back together ever since. That's what you saw—me helping them meet halfway again."
I let out a shaky breath. "The hand kiss? It's something we used to do as a joke when we were kids. I did it to lighten the mood, to stop them from walking off again. It wasn't what you thought."
Her eyes searched mine, and I held her gaze.
"I wasn't trying to replace you. I wasn't trying to play anyone. God, Atasha… I was only ever trying to fix the pieces around me, while I didn't even realize I was letting you fall apart."
I could see it in her face—something shifted.
But it wasn't relief. It wasn't forgiveness either. It was confusion… hesitation. Like she wanted to believe me but didn't know how to trust herself anymore.
I stepped back, giving her space.
"Atasha," I said her name softly, like it still carried the pieces of Selene I once knew. "I won't ask you to trust me right now. Maybe I don't even deserve it. But I needed you to know the truth, because you… you deserve that much."
She still didn't say anything, and God, that silence was unbearable.
"I lost you once because I was slow to understand my own heart," I whispered. "But I never stopped thinking about you. Not even when you disappeared. Every sketch you posted online, every tiny detail I could trace to you—I watched from a distance, praying I'd get the chance to see you again."
My voice broke, and I didn't try to hide it.
"I thought the hardest part was losing you. But it wasn't. The hardest part was realizing I broke the heart of the only person who ever loved me without asking for anything in return."
And for the first time in forever, I didn't try to act strong.
I let her see me—really see me.
Flawed. Regretful. Still in love.