Kapitel 37: Chapter Thirty-Five: Facing the past
The days that followed Mia's revelation to Adrian were filled with tension. She could feel the weight of the secret she'd kept from him pressing down on her. It wasn't just the call from Liam that had unsettled her, but the flood of memories that came rushing back in its wake. She had buried so much of her past with Liam, locked away in a place she hadn't wanted to revisit. Yet, now, those memories seemed impossible to ignore.
Adrian had remained calm, patient, but Mia could tell he was hurt. The silence that had settled between them was suffocating. Every glance he gave her seemed loaded with questions she wasn't ready to answer. She had told him about the call, but she hadn't shared everything. She hadn't shared how hearing Liam's voice had brought up feelings she wasn't sure she was ready to confront.
That evening, as the kids were tucked into bed and the house grew quiet, Mia found herself in the kitchen, absently stirring a pot of soup. Adrian sat at the dining table, his eyes fixed on his phone but his mind clearly elsewhere. The air between them was thick with unspoken words, and Mia hated it. She didn't want to lose the trust they'd worked so hard to build.
Adrian put his phone down and looked at her. "Mia," he started, his voice soft but firm, "I need to understand. Why did you keep this from me?"
Mia's hand faltered in mid-motion, the spoon clinking lightly against the pot. She turned to face him, her chest tightening. She hadn't expected the conversation to be easy, but it was harder than she anticipated.
"I didn't want to hurt you," she admitted quietly, her eyes not meeting his. "When Liam and I broke up, it was messy. It was painful. And I thought I had moved on. But hearing his voice again… it brought up a lot of old feelings I wasn't prepared for. I didn't want to drag you into that, Adrian. I didn't want you to think that I was still holding on to something that's in the past."
Adrian's expression softened, but the hurt was still evident in his eyes. "Mia, I don't expect you to forget your past. We all have baggage. But we're supposed to be a team. You can't keep things from me like this. It's not just about Liam—it's about us, about trust. I need to know that I'm part of this, part of everything that's going on in your life."
Mia felt a pang of guilt. She had taken for granted that Adrian knew everything, that their bond was solid enough that she didn't need to share every piece of her past. But now, hearing the pain in his voice, she realized how wrong she had been.
"I'm sorry," Mia whispered, stepping closer to him. "You're right. I should have told you sooner. It's just... I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want to drag up something we've both moved past."
Adrian stood up and walked over to her, taking her hands in his. His touch was warm, comforting, but his eyes still held a hint of uncertainty. "Mia, you didn't drag anything up. You just didn't give me the chance to be there for you when it happened. I'm not going to pretend that hearing about Liam isn't a shock. But I want to be the person you turn to when things get tough. Not just when everything is easy."
She felt tears welling in her eyes. She had always known Adrian was her partner, but hearing him say those words, hearing his vulnerability, hit her harder than she expected. She had thought that by protecting him, she was doing the right thing. But now, it seemed she had only kept them further apart.
"I don't know what to do with all these feelings," Mia confessed, her voice trembling. "I'm not in love with him anymore, Adrian. I swear, I'm not. But hearing from him... it made me question things. I don't know if it's because I've buried it for so long, or if there's still a part of me that hasn't fully let go. But I don't want that to affect us. I don't want you to feel like I'm still holding on to him."
Adrian pulled her into an embrace, his hands gently cradling the back of her head. His voice was soft as he spoke. "Mia, I don't want you to feel like you can't share your past with me. I want you to feel safe with me, to know that whatever it is—no matter how messy or painful—I'm here. We'll figure it out together."
Mia closed her eyes, taking in his words. It was then she realized that this wasn't about Liam at all. It wasn't about the past or the old wounds she had yet to heal. It was about how they moved forward together. It was about trust, honesty, and vulnerability.
"I'm scared, Adrian," she admitted, her voice small. "I'm scared of reopening old wounds. I'm scared that if I let those feelings in, it'll make everything I've built with you feel less real. That somehow, I'll lose the love we have."
"You won't lose me," Adrian said gently, pulling back slightly to look into her eyes. "Our love is built on what we have now, on everything we've been through together. But it's also built on the fact that we're both human. We both have pasts, and we're both carrying things with us. I don't want you to feel like you're alone in this."
Mia nodded, feeling a weight lift from her chest. It wasn't going to be easy, but she was ready to face the past—not for Liam, but for herself and for Adrian. She had spent so many years hiding pieces of herself away, thinking she could move forward without confronting them. But now she understood. To move forward completely, she needed to be honest, even about the things that scared her the most.
The next few days were spent navigating the delicate balance between past and present. Mia reached out to Liam again, deciding that, for her own peace of mind, she needed closure. Adrian stood by her side through it all, offering unwavering support as she worked through her emotions.
When Mia met Liam for the first time in years, she was surprised by how much he had changed. The boy she once loved had grown into a man who seemed genuinely remorseful, but it was clear that their paths had diverged in ways that could never be undone.
"I've made mistakes, Mia," Liam said as they sat together, his voice heavy with regret. "I've hurt you, and I'll never be able to take that back. But I want you to know that I've always regretted how things ended. And I'm sorry—for everything."
Mia looked at him, her heart no longer filled with anger, but with a quiet understanding. "I've moved on, Liam. I've forgiven you in my own way. But I can't go back. I'm building something new now. With Adrian."
Liam nodded, his face reflecting the same mixture of regret and acceptance. "I understand. I just wanted to apologize, to let you know that I never wanted to cause you pain."
As Mia left the meeting, she felt a sense of peace settle over her. The past was no longer a shadow hanging over her, but a chapter she had closed for good. And with Adrian by her side, she knew that they had something far stronger than anything she had ever had with Liam—a love built on trust, respect, and a willingness to face the truth, no matter how difficult it may be.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein