My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 1078

Tristan stared at her hand as he spoke, eyes cast down, refusing to meet Emily’s gaze.

“Look at me when you talk,” Emily said, her voice gentle but firm.

He stayed quiet, not lifting his head.

Emily squeezed his hand and pressed on. “Are you really telling me the truth?”

His answer came out quiet. “Of course I am.”

She shook her head. “No, you’re not. Tristan, I want to hear how you really feel.”

He let out a breath and pulled her into his arms, almost defeated. “Alright, I’ll be honest. I don’t want you to see him. Even if he saved you, I just… I can’t stand it. It makes me feel awful inside.”

Emily smiled, wrapping her arms around him, her voice soft. “Now that’s more like you. You don’t have to act like you’re okay with everything. I’m not some stranger. You can be real with me.”

Tristan buried his face in the curve of her neck, words muffled. “I hate this. If only I had been there that day…”

He didn’t have to say which day. Emily knew exactly what he meant. The day Benjamin and Isabella got engaged, the day Tristan wished he could have been there for her, the day Andrew stepped in instead. If Tristan had been there, things wouldn’t have gotten so complicated between her and Andrew.

But there was no changing the past.

Tristan laughed too, finally lifting his head from her shoulder. Their eyes met, both of them smiling, and in that moment all the worries faded away. The air between them was soft and warm.

Slowly, Tristan leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. Emily’s eyes fluttered shut, her hands sliding to his waist as she kissed him back, a little shy, a little unsure, but absolutely his.

When they finally came up for air, Emily was breathing fast, eyes still lowered. Tristan cupped her face, kissing her again, little kisses on her lips, her cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead.

“Let’s go home,” he murmured.

Her lips curved up, cheeks flushed. “Yeah. Let’s go home.”