Ride With Me (Paige and Jace) novel Chapter 433

CHAPTER 233-2

You were trying to tell me what was happening, and I kept convincing myself that I understood the situation better than you did.” She continued as her voice shook slightly.

“I thought I was protecting the family, but I was protecting the wrong things.” She added and I

looked down at my plate.

For years, I had imagined this conversation differently. I had imagined anger. Accusations. People finally admitting exactly how badly they had hurt me.

Instead, everyone was simply telling the truth.

“I wanted you to believe me.” I said and Victoria nodded.

“I know.” She said.

“I needed my mother.” I said.

“I know that too.” She said as her eyes filled with tears.

“I am sorry, Paige.” She said and I swallowed.

“Thank you.” I said and Charlotte looked at me.

“I owe you more than an apology.” Charlotte said and I turned toward her as she placed her fork

down.

“I lied to you. I manipulated people around you, and I helped Victor when I should have been protecting you.” She said.

Her voice remained steady, although her eyes were already wet.

“I can’t change what I did, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I had no choice.” She said but I said nothing.

“I made choices. They were terrible choices, and you paid for some of them.” She continued as she looked down at her hands.

“I am sorry.” She added as I studied her.

“I believe that you are.” I said and Charlotte looked up.

“But?” She asked.

“But healing doesn’t happen because someone says sorry once.” I said and she nodded.

“I know.” She said.

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CHAPTER 233-2

“It takes time.” I said.

“Lknow that too.” She said.

Jace squeezed my hand beneath the table and Charles looked between us.

“I think that’s something all of us need to understand.” Charles said and Victoria nodded

“We can’t expect Paige to forget.” Victoria said.

“I don’t want anyone to forget.” I said and they all looked at me.

Jo

“I just want us to stop pretending the past didn’t happen.” I said and Charles nodded slowly.

“That seems fair.” He said and I took a breath.

“I spent years thinking family meant people who were supposed to love you no matter what.” I said

as Victoria reached across the table.

“But?” She asked.

“But now I think family is people who are willing to do the work when they have hurt each other.” I said and Charlotte’s eyes filled again.

“I want to do the work.” She said.

“So do I.” Charles said and Victoria nodded.

“So do I.” Victoria said as Jace smiled.

“I think that’s the first family meeting I have ever attended where nobody threatened to kill anybody.” Jace said and I laughed.

Charlotte covered her mouth as she laughed too and even Charles smiled.

The tension finally broke.

For the first time in years, we were sitting around the same table without anyone trying to win.

That felt like something. Then I remembered something.

“There is something I need to tell you.” I said and Jace looked at me.

He already knew. My parents didn’t and Charlotte looked curious while Charles straightened.

“What is it?” Charles asked and I reached for Jace’s hand.

“We got married.” I said.

Silence filled the room as Victoria blinked.

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