MALIA’S POV

“Is that why you decided to marry Gabriel instead?” He asked.

Zach's question hit me like a truck. I could feel the blood drain from my face as I stared at him, wide-eyed. I hadn't expected this conversation—not now, not ever, if I was being honest with myself. The past felt so distant and yet so raw, and I had done everything I could to bury it. But Zach wasn’t letting it stay buried.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words got stuck in my throat. I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of what I had to say pressing down on my chest. I couldn’t lie...