Chapter 66

• PETE
• No one had ever warned me that restraining myself would be the most challenging task I'd ever face. When I told her I wouldn't stop her, I meant it. When I sensed she needed space, I gave it to her. I made a conscious effort not to act like a possessive or jealous caveman because I knew she disliked it.
• I refrained from kissing her, touching her, or asking her out because I feared she'd see it as manipulation. So, I sat there like an idiot, silent and passive. I didn't express what I desperately wanted to say, mainly because I firmly believed there was no one on this planet more capable of messing things up just by opening their mouth than me.