Chapter 10: Crossroads
Raegan left the park that day with her mind spinning. Matteo’s confession had thrown her for a loop, and she wasn’t sure how to process it. He had always been a steady, reliable presence in her life, but she’d never considered him as anything more than a colleague—or, at most, a friend. Now, his words lingered in her mind, forcing her to reevaluate everything.
She spent the next few days focusing on work, using the campaign as a distraction. But no matter how busy she was, Matteo’s confession kept creeping back into her thoughts. She appreciated his honesty, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Did she see him as more than a friend? Could she?
The question gnawed at her, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. The campaign was entering its final stages, and she was determined to see it through.
One evening, as she was leaving the office, she ran into Mitchel in the parking lot. He was leaning against his car, his arms crossed, as if he’d been waiting for her.
“Raegan,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “We need to talk.”
She hesitated, her grip tightening on her bag. “About what?”
“About us,” he said, his gaze steady. “About everything.”
Raegan sighed. “Mitchel, there is no ‘us.’ Not anymore.”
“I know,” he said, his voice softening. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t talk. I owe you that much.”
She studied him for a moment, searching for any sign of insincerity. But all she saw was regret—and maybe a flicker of hope.
“Fine,” she said finally. “But not here.”
They ended up at a quiet café nearby, sitting across from each other in a corner booth. The silence between them was heavy, but Raegan refused to be the first to break it.
Finally, Mitchel spoke. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. About us. About everything I’ve done wrong.”
Raegan raised an eyebrow. “And?”
“And I’m sorry,” he said, his voice low. “I’m sorry for the way I treated you, for the way I took you for granted. You deserved better, Raegan. You still do.”
His words caught her off guard. She hadn’t expected an apology—not from him.
“Why are you telling me this now?” she asked, her tone cautious.
“Because I realized something,” he said, his gaze intense. “I realized that I’ve been chasing the wrong things. Lauren, the past… none of it matters. What matters is you. And our baby.”
Raegan’s heart skipped a beat. “Our baby?”
Mitchel nodded. “I know I haven’t been there for you, but I want to change that. I want to be a part of this—of your life, of our child’s life.”
Raegan stared at him, her mind racing. She hadn’t expected this—hadn’t prepared for it. Part of her wanted to believe him, to give him a chance. But another part—a bigger part—was wary. She’d been hurt too many times to trust him so easily.
“Mitchel, I…” she began, but he held up a hand.
“You don’t have to answer now,” he said. “I know I’ve got a lot to prove. But I’m willing to do whatever it takes to earn your trust again.”
Raegan nodded slowly, her emotions a tangled mess. “I’ll think about it.”
That was all she could promise—for now.