She Can't Be Your Mate novel Chapter 77

"I'm so proud of you." He softly smiled.

~Devina's POV~

"Hmm." Was the only thing Gwen said when I introduced her to Zane. She squinted her grey eyes and analyzed him. He didn't seem too fazed by this, I could tell he was holding in his laughter. "You're the guy my daughter said she hated. Multiple times." Zane stiffened and looked over at me. "More than I can count." She added and went back to talking to a few of her friends, not before sending me a quick questioning glance.

"She really hates me," Zane spoke as she walked out of hearing distance. "And I guess so did you." He pointed out, looking around at the people around us. I couldn't imagine how he felt, coming back here and seeing so many happy people around me. Did he think I was happier without him?

"Could you blame me, Zane? What we had wasn't near being perfect but it was close, I was happy. Then she showed up and you took my heart and happiness, fleeing to be with her. It hurt. A lot! So, yes I did hate you." Zane looked back up at me with regret in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I know those two words aren't good enough, nothing's going to be good enough, but I want to try to make it up to you. I want to make things right between us. You belong with me. You can't disagree. We belong together." I shook my head.

"I know that. But it's like you're mad at me for being mad. It's like you forgot what you did, or you don't think it's that big of a deal." He stepped forward and grabbed my shoulders, leveling his eyes with mine.

"I will never forget what I did. I'm mad at myself for not being able to resist it. I'm mad at myself for not fighting for you as hard as I should have. I'm mad at myself because I haven't been able to see you grow and move on. It's like I barely even know what's going on in your life anymore." He sadly smiled and took his hands away from my shoulders, leaving them cold and exposed.

"Let's go to my room." I grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs and into my bright bedroom. I watched him as he roamed around the quaint room looking at pictures and other little artifacts. As he picked up one picture in particular of Dylan and me at the beach playing in the water, I smiled. "That was a few months ago." He turned around and looked up at me.

"He took care of you?" He asked, holding up the picture.