Her mother would kill her if she knew what she’d just done. But for right now, she needed to put herself first. For once.

She sat down again. Her heart was pounding in her ears. “What do you mean…checked out?”

He fiddled with his ring box. “Of our relationship. I think…I think you weren’t really there for a long time.”

“Of course I was there! And how dare you blame me; you’re the one who cheated.” She’d been so there. After all, she’d stayed in this town for him.

He shrugged. “All I’m saying is that maybe we were headed a certain way for a long time, and everyone we knew saw that, and there was no good way out. So, I found a way out. I’m not saying it was right.”

“Couldn’t you have just asked to break up?” But something was occurring to Tessa. That for years, she’d felt that she would never meet anyone else in this town.

Hadn’t it been easier to accept that she was going to marry Sam and at least have a chance at a life with someone other than Cosette? She could have broken up with him…but she’d stayed.

She’d loved Sam but not the way…not the way she loved Leo.

I love Leo.

And she’d settled for Sam.

“I was always more invested than you were,” Sam said, sounding more honest than he had in a long time. “I had a crush on you since high school. Remember how many years I spent begging you to go out with me?”

Yes, he had. He’d worn her down with asking. That’s why she’d finally gone out with him.

What a terrible way to start a relationship.

But she wasn’t going to let him off the hook. “Sam, you made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. Like…like I didn’t deserve something better. You said I didn’t have a passionate nature!”

He sighed. “I was angry. And…things weren’t exciting between us like they were at the beginning.”

Tessa found herself fisting her hands under the table. She saw it all now—and she saw how she let it continue.

“I’m sorry, Tessa. I should have talked to you, not tried to get out of our relationship by cheating on you.”

Tessa looked at Sam. He looked the most sincere she’d seen in ages. And then she smiled. “You just said I’m sorry.”

He rubbed his neck. “Yeah, well, I should have said that a long time ago.”

“I’m glad you said it now. I’m sorry, too. We weren’t right for each other. And…I’m glad you found someone.”

She meant that. She was genuinely happy for him. Besides, Sam hadn’t made her feel bad about herself.

She’d done that all by herself.