My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 898

Valerie discreetly watched Peter. She didn’t make any move to approach him, but deep down, she wanted to ask if he was okay. She was curious to talk to him. She knew Peter was her past, but that didn’t mean she had stopped feeling something for him.

Marcus had already told her that Peter didn’t remember her, but she wanted to confirm it for herself. At one point, she had believed that putting distance between them would fix everything, but now, with Serenity and Alden together, avoiding him was going to be nearly impossible.

No matter how much therapy and self-acceptance she had gone through, she couldn’t deny feeling some relief when she saw Peter holding Celeste close. The way Celeste smiled at him in understanding stung a little. She and Celeste had spoken briefly at the hospital while Peter was being operated on. She couldn’t quite place it, but she was sure she had seen her before.

Celeste, on the other hand, had noticed Valerie’s subtle glances. She tried to ignore them, but with her hormones all over the place, her mind started spinning with insecurities. She tried to calm herself down, but between the exhaustion and the increasing pain in her hip, Peter ended up taking her to lie down for a bit.

"Peter, you should go back to the gathering… You can’t leave Alden alone. I’m fine, I just need to rest for a bit," Celeste said, trying to sound strong.

"Celeste, what’s wrong? I’ve noticed you’ve been acting strange all night. I know this situation is complicated, but you don’t need to feel uncomfortable. Katherine is Alden’s mother—that’s something I can’t change. And yes, I know she was the only person I remembered at first, but I wouldn’t trade what I have with you now for anything," he said, gently caressing her cheek.

At his words, Celeste’s eyes filled with tears. She felt like such an idiot. Her jealousy had completely consumed her, and yet this man—if she really thought about it—hadn’t left her side all night. He had been holding her hand the entire time.

"I’m sorry… I know I shouldn’t be acting like this. I know I look ridiculous, and honestly, I’ve never felt this way before. But no matter how much I try to fight it, I can’t help it. When I found out Alden’s mother was coming, I completely lost it. I know that you and she… well, you know…"

"We had a relationship… I know. But do you want to know something?"

Celeste could only nod, the lump in her throat making it impossible to speak.

"Yes, Katherine and I were together, but that relationship was purely physical."

Celeste’s eyes widened in shock. If he thought that was reassuring, it really wasn’t. In fact, it was having the opposite effect.