“You have fifteen minutes.” After delivering that brusque ultimatum, she chose an upholstered chair at a right angle to the couch and sat.

In truth, he had more than that. Grace and Eve wouldn’t be back for another hour—but why test the limits of her emotional fortitude?

“In that case, I’ll give you the condensed version of my story.” He retook his seat. After lacing his fingers, he leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. “I’ll begin by repeating the apology I gave you eight years ago. I never meant to hurt you, Cate. And I’m as sorry now as I was then. Not a day has passed that I haven’t regretted the pain I caused you.”

A pretty apology—but it didn’t make up for years of feeling betrayed.

Her spine stiffened, but she kept her expression neutral and remained silent.

“I know you assumed my ambitions caused our breakup, that I chose career over you—and I let you. But that wasn’t true. I took the DEA job because it was an opportunity to redress a wrong. Repay a debt.”

There was that word again.

“What kind of debt?” The question spilled out before she could stop it.

So much for just listening.

Zeke’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “To answer that question, I have to go back into my earlier history. To a place I never told you—or anyone—about. A place that, to this day, makes me sick to my stomach to think about, let alone share. It wasn’t my finest hour.” He wiped a hand down his face and fell silent.

Five seconds passed.

Ten.

He continued to stare at his hands.

Had he changed his mind about sharing his story?

She gritted her teeth.

That wasn’t fair.

After all the grieving she’d done in the wake of their breakup, she deserved to hear a less emotionally devastating explanation for his desertion than he’d offered her back then—assuming there was one.

When the silence dragged on, she finally spoke. “You asked me to listen. I’m listening. But the clock is ticking.”

He looked over at her, and the indecision in his eyes, their haunted air, jolted her. Never had she seen confidence desert this usually decisive man.

Her stomach twisted.

Whatever had happened in his past must have been very, very disturbing. Perhaps life-changing, if its repercussions could echo all these years later.

Not that any past trauma would excuse what he’d done to her. Forgiveness wasn’t on her agenda this January Saturday, even if that virtue was a basic tenet of her faith.

Heck, she hadn’t yet forgiven herself for the biggest mistake she’d made in their relationship—next to trusting Zeke, of course.