Page 45 of Mateo & Nicole
There was no making this right. They both knew it. So why was he still standing here, considering it?
Because Nikki would want him to get closure. She would want him to heal. And what better way to do that than to let Caroline say her piece. He didn’t have to agree to anything more.
“Fine,” he ground out.
Her eyes widened with excitement and relief. “Thank you.”
He nodded down the street. “There’s a shop just down here.”
“I was actually on my way over there.” She looped her arm through his, and he pulled back from her.
Mateo wanted to tell her not to touch him again, but he had a feeling it would fall on deaf ears. And he wasn’t going to waste his breath trying. So instead, he took a few measured steps away from her.
When they got to the coffee shop, he pulled the door open for her and followed her inside.
The coffee shop wasn’t terribly busy—a fact that unnerved him. No one in Copper Creek knew who Caroline was. Hardly anyone had heard about the embarrassment that was his failed relationship. In fact, as far as he knew, no one had heard the story. And that was how it would stay.
Still, the gossip mill had already gotten wind of the bachelor from Winding Creek Ranch and the girl from his past that had stolen his heart. He and Nikki had received more than their fair share of glances from the older women in town. They were all smiles and gushing congratulations. It was strange and mildly embarrassing, but nothing more than he’d expected.
If any one of those women caught him with Caroline at this coffee shop, he’d have a lot to explain about if Nikki caught wind.
He grimaced at that thought alone. There was a good chance that Nikki wouldn’t understand. And he wasn’t going to risk it.
So, he avoided ordering himself a coffee and chose instead to move to the table in the corner of the room—far away from the windows facing the street.
Caroline was seated soon enough. As she pulled out the chair across from him, she smiled like she’d won something. His stomach knotted. He didn’t want her winning anything—not after what she’d put him through.
Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself this would be the only time he allowed a meeting like this one.
Caroline wasted no time in batting her eyelashes and treating him like she always had. She reached across the table and traced a fingertip along the back of his hand. “How have you been?”
He scoffed. “I thought you wanted to clear the air.”
She frowned slightly, then nodded as she retreated. “I’ve been working on myself, Mateo. I want to be better. And out of everything I’ve done in my life, you are my biggest mistake.”
Mateo could believe that.
Caroline made a move to touch him again, so he dropped his hands in his lap, the bouquet of flowers resting on the table between them. Her eyes snagged on them as if seeing them for the first time. For a long moment, she stared at them before she lifted her gaze to him. “Those aren’t for one of your sisters, are they?”
He shook his head, tempted to tell her that he’d fallen for her best friend—the very woman who Caroline had thought was beneath her. But Mateo knew he wouldn’t take pleasure in Caroline’s pain. He was over that part of his grieving. And he didn’t want to bring unwanted attention to Nikki in case Caroline ended up reaching out to her.
“Is it serious?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Who is she?”
“Does it matter?” he said. “We’re not here to talk about my girlfriend. We’re here to hash out what happened between us so we can both move on. I take it that’s what you wanted to do when you sought me out. That’s usually what people do when they’re trying to make something more of themselves.”
She flushed, the first sign that she might be telling the truth. She cleared her throat and placed both of her hands in her lap. “You’re right.” She dropped her gaze to her hands and fiddled with them before she said, “Does she make you happy?”
“She does.” The warmth returned to his voice, causing her to look up at him. “And for what it’s worth, I hope you’re happy too.”
Caroline smiled at him, but he needed to shut down the hope she had shining in her eyes.
“That being said, I don’t want you to contact me again.”
It took all of a few seconds for fury to blaze in her gaze. The coloring in her cheeks deepened, and her jaw tightened. “But?—”
