Page 106 of Please, Forgive Me

He noticed. Of course he did—he always noticed.

“I… wanted to thank you for letting Arthur meet Clara,” he said quietly, his voice formal, almost cautious.

“I didn’t do it for you, Diego,” I replied without looking at him, keeping my eyes on Arthur, who was now whispering softly to his sister.

“I know.” He sighed, and for a moment, there was something raw in his tone. “I know there’s still a lot between us that needs to be worked through.”

“There’s a lot that can’t be worked through,” I shot back, finally meeting his gaze.

There was so much resentment there—so much pain I still couldn’t let go of. And he knew it. He could see it in my eyes, hear it in my voice.

Diego stayed quiet, his gaze locked on mine, like he was searching for a way past the wall I’d built. But I wasn’t ready for that. Not now. Not anytime soon.

“Maybe one day things will change,” he said finally, his voice low, almost resigned. “But until then, I’ll keep trying. Not just for Clara… but for us.”

His words hit harder than I expected, and for the first time in a long while, I felt vulnerable in front of him. But I didn’t let it show.

Instead, I took a step back, keeping the distance I needed to stay safe.

“Not everything’s about you, Diego,” I said firmly. “This is about Clara. If you really care, then focus on her. Because I… I’m not part of this anymore.”

Diego opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Max padded into the room, tail wagging, like he could sense the tension.

He trotted straight to Arthur and Clara, his presence lightening the atmosphere instantly.

Arthur giggled when he saw Max, and for a moment, everything felt a little softer. Diego glanced at the dog, then at me, and something in his expression eased.

“He seems to like Arthur,” he said, maybe trying to find some neutral ground.

“Max has good taste,” I said, my tone lighter this time.

Diego smiled—a small, genuine smile. And for one fleeting moment, the cold, distant man I’d known so well seemed to disappear.

“Stay in the car for a second, buddy.”

“Bye, Maria Gabriela. I loved meeting my baby sister.”

“And she loved meeting you too, I’m sure of it,” I said with a warm smile.

Once Arthur climbed into the car, Diego stayed there, watching me for a few seconds, clearly searching for the right words. But, as always, I knew whatever was coming next wouldn’t be simple.

“Maria Gabriela…” he began, his voice softer than I was used to hearing. “I need to tell you something. Something I’ve never told anyone outside my family.”

I folded my arms, keeping my face neutral even as my heart picked up a beat. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was bracing myself for anything.

“Go ahead,” I said flatly, giving him no space to see how much this was unsettling me.

Diego drew in a deep breath, like he had to summon the courage to force the words out.

“In the past, I was…” He hesitated, glancing away for a moment before continuing. “I was betrayed. I caught my ex-wife with another man—in our house. The house we’d picked together, where we’d started our family. After that, she left our son and walked out. Deep down, she’d only ever wanted money.”

I kept my expression steady, but inside a flicker of surprise broke through.

“After that, I never trusted another woman,” he went on, and I could see the pain in his eyes. “Every relationship I had after that was superficial, no real bond. I just… shut down. Convinced myself they were all the same, that none of them were worth it. And when you came along, I made the same mistakes all over again.”

I watched him as he spoke, feeling a knot of conflicting emotions. Part of me wanted to understand, to see the human side of him. But another part was so wounded it couldn’t let this slide.

“That’s not an excuse,” Diego said quickly, his voice firmer now. “I know I screwed up. I know I was an idiot not to trust you, to treat you the way I did. I’m not telling you this to make you forgive me. I just… needed you to know.”