I Wanna Dance: A Second Chance At Love Novella (A Modern Vintage Romance) by Maya Alden

Author:Maya Alden [Alden, Maya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

Marco

“What’s wrong?” I asked as soon as she opened her door. I could feel it. When I called her to tell her that I’d pick up groceries, she sounded distant.

Now, I could see she was upset. I’d learned enough about Leah by now to know that when she withdrew, it wasn’t because she wanted to be alone, it was because she thought she was.

I stepped inside and set the bag on her kitchen counter. Her place was small, with an open-plan kitchen, dining and living areas, one bedroom, and a bath. She’d made it hers, but I knew that she didn’t feel at home here. It was a place to lay her head. No more.

“Thanks for getting that.” She jutted her chin toward the groceries as she stood, her arms crossed, as if she were protecting herself.

She looked beautiful as she always did, but there was sadness in her eyes.

I walked up to her, put my hands on her arms, and rubbed gently. “What’s wrong?” I asked again.

“Nothing.” She turned away, walked to the living room, and sat on the couch. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

I followed her, sat down beside her, picked her up, and hauled her onto my lap. She squealed.

“Okay, cariño, you want to tell me why you look like your puppy died?”

Her shoulders slumped. “You’ll think I’m being stupid.”

“Probably. It’s what I do best. But tell me anyway.”

She smiled at that, but her eyes filled with tears, and I squeezed her to comfort her. She was in real pain, and I hated that. Camille cried easily. An advertisement. A book. A TV show. Leah didn’t, so when she did, it meant something had hurt her profoundly.

“I ran into Kevin today,” she revealed, her breath shaky.

The mention of his name made my jaw tighten, but I didn’t say anything. I waited. I could guess what happened. He probably said things to debase her, and she was back in the space she used to be when she was married. When he made her feel small. Emotional abuse was its own trigger, and I wanted to bolster her self-esteem so he couldn’t get to her the way he did. But it would take time. I was here for the long haul, I thought then and felt the band around my heart loosen. I’d take care of Leah. I wanted to.

“He said some things. About me. About us.”

“What kind of things?”

She hesitated, then looked up at me, her blue eyes shimmering with moisture and sadness. “He said I wasn’t good enough for you. That I’m too old, too...damaged, that someone like you wouldn’t want someone like me…not for long.”

My chest burned with anger. The asshole.

“Leah, listen to me. He’s wrong. He’s so wrong it’s almost laughable.”

She blinked, tears spilling over despite her best efforts to hold them back.

“I don’t care what Kevin thinks; you shouldn’t either.” I rocked her gently, kissing her cheek, her lips—whichever part of her face I could reach. “He doesn’t get to define you. You are one of the strongest, kindest, most incredible women I’ve ever met.

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