Lost Me, Gained Regret (Jane and Bryant Ferguson) novel Chapter 730

I knew why things had turned out this way.

It was all because of the mess I'd made.

"What do you want me to do to make things right?" I asked.

Christine offered a smile, but it was more a slight curve of her lips than anything. No real joy lit up her beautiful face.

"Why are you picking fights with me, Mr. Clarkson? Especially when you've got that sweet, gentle girl from your childhood waiting in the wings, right?"

I scratched my head, puzzled at how the conversation had suddenly veered towards Ellie.

"Ellie and I just grew up together, that's all. Calling her a childhood sweetheart would be stretching it, let alone anything more."

"Who told you that?"

There was no way Christine hadn't discussed this with Jane, which meant Greg would've set the record straight with Jane.

The misunderstanding couldn't have come from Greg.

I hadn't expected Ellie to be dragged into this mess.

I thought my current predicament with Christine was all because of those hurtful things I'd said back then, pushing her away. So, I believed I deserved whatever was coming my way now.

"Clarence?"

I couldn't fathom who else would be so thoughtless.

After a moment, Christine said, "Dailey, how is what you're doing now any different from my past clinginess?"

"If I could let go because of your cold words, why can't you let go after I've physically lashed out?"

"I bet no one's ever dared to hit you before, Mr. Clarkson."

I'd had a few too many drinks tonight, not enough to be drunk but enough to feel it, especially with my mood.

It took me a moment to grasp her words, and then she hit me with another truth.

Better to cut our losses now than end up in mutual destruction.

That was the main reason she'd stopped pursuing me, not Ellie's petty schemes.

"You actually like me?"

Christine withdrew her hand, her voice cold, "Then why did you wait until I stopped chasing you, until after you'd broken my heart, to start saying you liked me?"

"Dailey, you're just not used to me not being after you anymore. That's all it is."

"No,"

I immediately countered. "I know my own feelings. If it was just habit, would I really be going through all this trouble?"

"Taking hits without fighting back, taking insults without retorting."

"If it were you, if you were used to Merritt doting on you, would you start liking him just because he suddenly stopped, letting him say or do anything to you and still chase after him saying 'I like you'?"