Chapter 43
Colette watched from the corner of her eye as Zoe quietly disappeared into her room, her footsteps barely audible on the floor. For once, Zoe’s usual brashness was gone, replaced by a kind of quiet sensitivity Colette hadn’t seen before. Maybe this counted as her way of giving them space—a rare show of tact from someone who usually bulldozed her way through situations.
Matt’s hand gently brushed against her arm, pulling her attention back to him. The room felt smaller now, quieter, as if it was just the two of them standing on the precipice of something fragile. His eyes searched hers, filled with an earnestness she hadn’t seen in a long time. Slowly, without saying a word, Matt leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
The kiss was soft, hesitant, like a question. His lips moved gently against hers, as if asking for forgiveness, for understanding, for hope. It wasn’t the heated, passionate kiss she had known from him before. This one was different. It was tender, filled with years of love, regret, and the weight of all the unspoken words that had hung between them. He kissed her like she was precious, like he was afraid she might slip through his fingers if he wasn’t careful.
Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she closed her eyes, sinking into the softness of it. The sweetness. She could feel the warmth of his hand cradling her face, his thumb lightly stroking her cheek. When they pulled apart, her lips tingled, and she found herself missing the connection already.
“I’ve been a swine,” Matt whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “A jerk, an idiot… God, Colette, I don’t even have the words to describe how stupid I’ve been. I let someone like Iris come between us, and for that, I’ll never forgive myself. But I need you to believe me when I say this—” He pulled back slightly, his eyes locking with hers. “I have never, not once, cheated on you. I’ve never seen Iris as anything more than my secretary. Not in any way that mattered.”
Colette wanted to believe him. But the pain of the past few weeks, the doubts, the distance—it was hard to push them aside so quickly. “You let her get between us, Matt,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “You let her make me feel like I wasn’t enough.”
“I know,” he said, his voice breaking. “I know I did, and it kills me. Every time I think about it, I feel like I’m going to lose my mind. But I swear to you, Colette, once I found out that you were pregnant… I wasn’t just happy because I thought it was going to bring you back to me. But also because of the realization that I am going to be a father—because *we* were going to have a baby. You and me. That’s all I could think about—that you and I would have this deeper connection, something that no one could take away from us.”
Colette’s breath hitched, and her hand instinctively went to her stomach. Matt’s eyes followed the movement, and he let out a shaky breath, his hands gently covering hers.
“I’m happy about this baby, Colette,” Matt confessed, his voice softer now. “More than happy. I can’t even explain it… as soon as I heard, as soon as I thought about being a dad, I knew. That I am going to love him or her—God, I love him already—because he is going to be *ours*. Mine and yours.”
Colette’s heart clenched at the sincerity in his words. She could hear the raw emotion in his voice, the vulnerability he rarely showed.
“I know I’ve been distant, working too hard.” Matt continued, his voice growing quieter, almost ashamed. “When my dad died, and my mom left… I had to grow up so fast. I wasn’t ready, but I had to be. I had to take care of my siblings, figure everything out, and that pressure… it left scars. Deep ones. I’ve always been afraid of having a child because I never felt like I could do it again. I wasn’t ready to be responsible for another life. But this time—” His hand tightened around hers. “This time, it’s different. I’m not that scared kid anymore. We don’t have to worry about money. We don’t have to worry about anything. I’m going to make sure we have everything we need. And we’re going to do this together, Colette. Together.”
Colette’s throat felt tight, emotions swirling inside her like a storm. She had wanted to hear these words for so long. To know that Matt was with her, that he wasn’t running away from the idea of their family, that he was committed—not just to her, but to their future.
“I’m sorry,” Matt whispered, his voice breaking slightly. “I’m sorry for making you feel like I didn’t love you. For making you feel like you weren’t enough. That was never true. Not for a single second. I’ve never loved anyone or anything more than I love you. You’re my world, Colette. You always have been. Every hour I’ve worked, every deal I’ve chased, it wasn’t because I wanted to be away from you—it was because I was terrified of ending up like my father. Penniless. Broken. I’ve had nightmares about it. Nightmares about leaving you and our child with nothing.”
Tears slipped down Colette’s cheeks, and Matt gently wiped them away with his thumb, his touch tender. “That’s why I wasn’t ready for a baby,” he continued, his voice filled with regret. “I was too caught up in my fears to see that this isn’t the same as it was before. I’m not that scared young man anymore. And this isn’t going to be like my past. I’m ready now, Colette. I’m ready for this. For you. For us.”
He paused, his eyes filled with a fierce, unwavering love as he gazed ate her. “I love you, Colette. I always have. And I’m sorry—so sorry for all the times I’ve made you feel less than loved. I’ve been such a fool, but I’m begging you to let me make it right. Let me show you how much I love you.”
Colette’s tears came harder now, her heart aching with all the emotions crashing over her. She had waited so long to hear these words, to feel this kind of certainty from him. But the pain of the past weeks wasn’t something she could just brush aside, even with his heartfelt apology.
Matt knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. “Please,” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Please marry me again. I know I haven’t earned it. I know I’ve messed up, but I swear to you, I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for it. I’ll be the husband you deserve. I’ll be the father our child deserves. Just… just give me another chance, Colette. Let me be the luckiest man alive.”
Colette looked down at him, her heart pounding in her chest. The sincerity in his eyes, the rawness in his voice—it was everything she had ever wanted from him. He was laying his heart bare, asking for her forgiveness, for her love, for her trust.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she saw the man she had fallen in love with. The man who had always been there beneath the layers of hurt and distance. The man who, despite everything, was hers.
She reached down, cupping his face in her hands, her fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against the rough stubble on his jaw. “Matt,” she whispered, her voice soft but steady. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. But trust… trust takes time to rebuild.”
“I know,” Matt replied, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ll spend every day proving to you that I’m worth it.”
Colette took a deep breath, her heart aching with hope and fear. “Then prove it, Matt. Prove that we’re worth it.”
Matt’s eyes filled with unshed tears as he nodded, his forehead pressing against hers. And in that quiet moment, with the weight of all their mistakes and promises between them, Colette knew they had taken the first step toward finding their way back to each other.