What The Heart Needs - The Heart #3 (Complete)

Chapter 14 - Part 1

It had been an hour and I still didn't know how to reply to Max's text. My phone was on my bed and I stared at it trying to figure out what he wanted. The last time we had spoke he gad been so upset after learning I had slept with Aiden. What on Earth did he want to talk about?

I was still feeling fragile over my last encounter with Aiden and I didn't know if I could take a talk with Max.

Maybe it was best to lay low for a few days before I even considered any other interactions with the opposite sex. So far I wasn't having any luck, I just seemed to be screwing everything up.

I picked up my phone and thought about what I should message him.

I really didn't want to have to face the guy I had cheated on. It brought up a lot of guilt and I didn't know if it was something I could handle right now.

I realised a heavy sigh. Max had been the one I hurt and I owed him a conversation, if it's what he needed.

Sure. When?

I held my breath and waited to see what his response would be.

Today?

It was the last thing I felt like doing when I hadn't slept the night before and already had an emotional morning. But I agreed anyway.

We arranged to meet in an hour so I dragged my heartbroken ass to the shower and got dressed. I just wanted to believe that something good could come out if it even though realistically I knew it was a long shot.

I kept my outfit simple with a shirt and jeans, no make up.

At exactly the time Max said he would be there the doorbell went. I hadn't had that much time to work myself up but I was anxious when I opened the door.

The sight of him brought back all the memories of our last encounter, making me feel worse in my tired heartbroken state.

"Hi," I greeted, stepping aside so he could enter. Inside I was praying this would go better than my last meeting with Aiden.

"Thanks for agreeing to see me," he said as I closed the door.

I nodded as he followed me through to the living room. My parents were out, we were alone.

He sat beside me on the sofa and I shifted to face him. "What did you want to talk about?"

I'd had an hour to go through every possible reason for this but hadn't come up with much.

"I didn't like how we left things." He eyes found mine.

I swallowed, back down the emotions his stare stirred. It brought back a time when it felt like my life was spiralling out of control and the only one who had understood had been Aiden. It was a very different story now.

"You were hurt," I shrugged. He had every right to feel that way.

He nodded. "I never thought you would ever do something like that."

That made two of us.

"I am sorry. I know it sounds like such a lame thing to say but I mean it. You have no idea how much I disliked myself over the last few weeks. Even now when I see you, it makes me feel awful. But I have to take responsibility for what I did."

He nodded. "I get it. You also went through an extremely stressful event where your friend nearly died."

Thankfully I had made it through even though I was still struggling to figure things out. But the main thing was I had made it through.

"There is no excuse for what I did. It was wrong and trust me I have spent plenty of time regretting it," I assured him.

"When you first told me I was too upset to see any side other than my own. But I've had some time to think about the whole thing and I realised I had to take some of the blame for what happened."