"It's in the past," Demitri said, his voice calm but firm. "But I hope you don't believe what she said today. I'm not saying I was entirely blameless—I know I didn't give her enough time. But I did love her once, deeply. My resistance to dating now stems from that breakup. After what happened, I just couldn't bring myself to open up again. I never told my grandmother about it either. It would have only upset her."
Nora frowned, her hands balling into fists. "I can't believe people like her exist," she muttered. "It must have been incredibly painful to love someone only to be betrayed like that." She sighed, then added with a slight pout, "But what she said today was too harsh. I should have given her a proper response."
Demitri's lips curved into a small smile at her indignation. "Don't let her words ruin your mood," he said, taking a sip of his coffee.
She hummed in agreement, focusing on enjoying the warmth of the drink and his quiet company.
