Page 180 of Shade
He drops his eyes from mine, focusing on the table. “Not exactly. We were together a few times, but it wasn’t a relationship in the sense that she was my girlfriend.” He draws in a breath and carefully releases it when our eyes do meet. There’s pain evident in the way he can’t forget her, no matter how hard he tries. I know because I will forever compare every relationship I have to the one I had with Asher. It’s only natural for us.
You can’t explain it until it’s happened to you. At least I can’t.
I don’t ask any more about Rhya and he doesn’t ask any more about Asher. It’s like he knows this isn’t a conversation we have to have at the moment.
Maybe someday we will talk about them openly, without the hurt, but even now, though it’s been nine years, I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about all the ways Asher destroyed my heart. And looking at Shade, he’s not ready either. Sure, he knows now what a liar Rhya had been, but it’s still not easy to open up.
To forget.
To forgive.
All that comes with time and when your heart’s ready to accept it.
