He Made Me Fight His Champion Best Friend, Then Begged Me to Come Home Chapter 10

“I missed the moment when it mattered most,” I said. “There’s no going back now.”

I slowly stood up and pointed toward the door. “Leave. I don’t ever want to see you again. We’re done.”

Nathaniel struggled to his feet, and only then did I notice he was limping. He followed my gaze to his leg. Maybe he thought I cared.

“I got into an accident on the road when I thought you had died,” he said.

But I wasn’t concerned. I looked away. I cut him off before he could try to confess again and calmly told him to leave.

Nathaniel gave a bitter smile and slowly walked out of my home.

Watching his limping figure, I knew my heart no longer stirred because of him. Grandma’s death made forgiveness impossible. We could never go back to how we were.

Nathaniel’s appearance was just an interruption.

I kept living my quiet, happy life. I kept learning how to be a better florist and prepared to open another shop with Lucas.

During that time, someone offered to invest. But when I saw who it was, I turned them down.

Nathaniel still showed up now and then, helping me carry boxes.

He stood on the street in a mascot costume handing out flyers. It was like he had turned back into the Nathaniel from our early days.

But the next time he came, I took him to a coffee shop. I handed him a cup.

“Nathaniel, we can’t go back.”

He paused mid-sip, then gave a bitter smile.

“Emily, can’t I even have the chance to remember the past?”

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I looked him straight in the eye. “Is it really about remembering, or are you trying to make me fall for you again?”

“You know the answer to that. But Nathaniel, I don’t love you anymore.”

“When Grandma and our child died at the same time, we lost any chance of getting back together. Stop trying to pretend to be the man you used to be.”

Nathaniel went stiff. His hands clenched and trembled uncontrollably as he lowered his head. I couldn’t see his expression.

I didn’t say anything else. I stood up and left.

This time, I never saw Nathaniel show up at the flower shop again.

Slowly, I began to forget those painful memories. I walked toward a happy future, carrying Grandma’s love with me.

I accepted Lucas Green’s proposal surrounded by blooming flowers.

I wouldn’t give up on happiness just because of past pain. And I wouldn’t reject every man who loved me because of Nathaniel.

Nathaniel had loved me purely once. But he drifted away little by little.

Now I had my own career and could stand on my own, living well. I had the strength and confidence to walk away from pain.

I believed that even if Lucas changed the way Nathaniel did, I would be brave enough to leave and start over.

Two years later, I held my daughter’s hand and walked with her slowly.

I had a beautiful little girl. Her nickname was Ruthie. I thought of it when I visited Grandma’s grave while I was pregnant.

I wanted to keep living with Grandma’s memory in my heart. And I wanted my daughter to grow up happy and healthy, carrying Grandma’s blessing.

Besides my family, I had opened three flower shops. I no longer suffered because of money.

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The next time I heard news about Nathaniel, it was on the television.

He had gotten the same illness that killed my grandmother. But he refused all medication.

In the end, he wasted away quickly.

I was working at the shop one day and looked up. I thought I saw a blurred figure that looked like him. But when I looked again, there was nothing.

The next thing I heard was that he had died. I sighed at the news but felt nothing more.

After all, we had become no more than strangers long ago.