Watching You Burn In Regret novel Chapter 161

Seren hadn't expected to see Sheridan at the airport.

How had he found out her flight details? He looked as if he'd been waiting here for hours, just for her.

She glanced instinctively at Lennon, seeking his reaction. As always, Lennon's expression remained calm and composed—no surprise, no hint of emotion at all.

Sheridan closed the gap between them in just a few quick steps, his gaze burning with intensity.

"Seren, please—you can't go. Come back to me, will you? I really, really like you."

His words stumbled out, desperate and raw. "I'm sorry, I am. I shouldn't have hurt you over and over again. I only wanted to make you look at me, to notice me, even if it meant doing all the wrong things."

The man who'd always been so proud now stood before her unshaven, hollow-eyed, looking utterly defeated.

His voice cracked with pleading, nothing like the arrogant man she remembered.

Seren was completely blindsided by his confession.

For three years, Sheridan had acted like he couldn't stand her.

She'd always believed he felt nothing for her—if anything, maybe even a little disgust.

And now it turned out, all of that had just been his twisted way of trying to get her attention? Of trying to be close to her?

It was such a childish way to care about someone.

Like a little boy who doesn't know how to talk about his feelings—he just throws a tantrum, hoping someone will notice.

For a moment, Seren was speechless. Then she smiled, gentle but firm.

"I'm sorry, Sheridan. I don't love you."

To her, love wasn't about hurting someone just to get their attention, or forcing your own desires on them.

Hurt is hurt. No amount of "love" is an excuse for it, and it doesn't deserve forgiveness.

She thought of Lennon.

He was mature, steady, and kind. He always answered her, always followed through.

The thought brought a sudden warmth to her smile. She turned to Lennon, slipped her arm through his, and spoke with a lightness she hadn't felt in years.

"Right now, I only love my husband."

Seren was slow to warm up in relationships, but when she liked something, she never hid it.

Love was love. If she didn't love someone, she wouldn't pretend.

She knew her words would hurt Sheridan. But she didn't care how he felt—Lennon was the only one whose feelings mattered to her.

Seren didn't want to say more. She tugged Lennon's arm, ready to leave.

Sheridan's fists clenched by his sides, the veins standing out starkly on the backs of his hands.

He couldn't put the pain into words. Instinctively, he still didn't want to let go. Desperate, he'd do anything to keep her.

He stared at Seren, his eyes stubborn, his voice hoarse and low.

"Seren, you can't go. I saved your life once—you owe me."

He didn't care if she loved him or not. He just wanted to keep her by his side, to stop her from being with anyone else.

Seren paused, then turned back to him with a cool, measured gaze.

"Sheridan, you did save me three years ago. But I cared for you all those years too. I saved your life as well. We're even. I don't owe you anything."

Her words were soft but unyielding.

It was like a slap across Sheridan's face. His lips trembled, but no words came.

His throat felt raw, as if he were choking on sand, unable to swallow or spit it out.

Seren was right. Whatever debt there was between them, she'd already repaid it in full.