A lump formed in my throat as Nicolas’s words echoed in the room, each one driving home a truth I had tried so hard to ignore.
I looked at him, my chest tight with unspoken pain. "You know what hurts the most, Nicolas? It’s not just the lies, the sneaking around, or the broken promises. It’s knowing that I was never really an option for you. I was just... convenient."
His eyes widened in protest. "That’s not true, Mel. You mean more to me than—"
"Stop!" I snapped, my voice trembling with emotion. "Don’t say it. Don’t stand here and pretend I ever meant more to you than a momentary distraction from whatever it is you’re running from. If you really cared about me, you wouldn’t have come here tonight. You wouldn’t be trying to use me to fix the mess you’ve made of your life."
He looked st
