“Because if you do, we can end this right now. I’ll sleep on the couch. We’ll figure out an annulment. Whatever you need.”
I stared at this man who’d just married me, who was offering to walk away on our wedding night because he was so terrified of having hurt me.
“Do you love me?” I asked.
“Yes, God, yes.”
I moved closer to him, took his face in my hands, and made him look at me.
“Peter didn’t plan to die,” I said softly. “He didn’t know what would happen. And if he could see us right now, I think he’d be relieved. Of all the men in the world, I ended up with someone good. Someone who never pushed me. Someone who never used my pain against me. Someone who’s torturing himself over a text message from seven years ago.”
Dan’s eyes filled with tears.
“You didn’t break a promise,” I continued. “Life happened. We both survived something horrible, and we found each other on the other side. That’s not a betrayal. That’s just being human.”
“I was so scared to tell you,” he whispered.
“I know. And that’s exactly why I know you’re the right person.”