CHAPTER 69

DAVID

I feel like a fake man, as fake as his mother, as I wipe away his tears and whisper that I'll always be around. So when she asks in a low voice what I've done, I know it's going to be the end of us, because she won't forgive me after listening to me and finding out the truth. I squeeze her shoulder and bring her to me, taking the opportunity to inhale her scent and kiss her head.

I don't regret blackmailing Kaciana, for me, she never comes back to our lives.

Nelly shivers in my arms.

"I love you." I whisper against her hair, allow myself to smile as she winces again. Maybe I'll still have a chance, then.

"David, please."

"I'm not lying" I say, as she starts to pull away from my touch.

Nelly moves in my arms, putting space between us but staying close enough that I can still see the red spot on his cheeks and neck. I clear my throat, needing a second or ten seconds to decide if this is a good idea, confessing that I was responsible for your mother's departure and risking being wi