The Summer Before

Chapter Forty-Nine

I took a breath, raised my hand to the door, and prepared to make my move. Before my fist fell, the latch clicked, and I soon met with a very surprised Charlotte. She gasped when she saw me but recovered quickly, shooting me a small smile.

I took a step back, letting her pass. When she was gone, Colin stepped beside me. His face was stony as he simply said, "You're welcome."

My brows furrowed as I watched him walk down the steps to join J and Charlotte. I had no idea what he meant by that, but I hoped it was a good omen.

Tessa's door creaked, bringing my attention back to where I'd last seen her. I was shocked to see her standing in front of me. All the bravado I'd worked up just minutes ago deflated. I was suddenly just as scared as I was the night she left.

What if she's made her mind up?

Will my words even matter?

I swallowed hard, trying to find the right thing to say, hoping I could get something out before she decided to shut the door in my face again. As I opened my mouth to say something, she silenced me by stepping back and opening the door wider- an invitation to come inside.

She looked at the floor as I stepped inside, taking careful strides as if one wrong move would ruin everything. The door closed behind us, and Tessa beckoned me toward her living room.

I stood silently behind her couch, too on edge to sit as I wracked my brain for the right words to say. Tessa stood opposite me, using the sofa as a buffer between us. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she gnawed her lip anxiously.

Before I could say anything, she quietly spoke. "Colin told me that you came after me that night."

She didn't have to clarify; I knew exactly which night she was talking about. When I noticed she wasn't at the bar with the rest of us, I took off. I hurried back to the house to find her. I didn't have a plan. I just acted. At the time, I felt guilty about what I'd done and angry at her for what I thought she'd done.

By the time I arrived, Tessa was already gone. Colin told me she packed up and left shortly before I came in. I tried calling and texting her, but she blocked my number after telling me to leave her alone.

Looking back, I know I should have hopped in the car and followed her. I should have made her speak to me, but I was hurt. My broken heart told me she was going back to be with him. It cried out that she'd made her choice, and it wasn't me.

So, I imploded, turning into the selfish prick I've been for the last year. I wallowed in my misery, pushed my friends away when they tried to reach me, and let hate overtake me.

"Is it true? Did you come after me, Levi?"

"I did," I replied softly.

The room was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "You tried to reach out. Tried to speak to me that night."

I nodded. "I did."

Tessa sighed. When I looked at her, her eyes were downcast and sad. "I blew you off."

My throat was tight. I knew she was starting to blame herself, thinking if she'd only talked to me that night, we could have sorted everything out that night. I wouldn't let her do that. She didn't deserve to hurt over it any longer, and I wasn't going to let her blame herself for my mistakes.

"You had good reason to."

Her eyes met mine. They were filled with unshed tears, and her lip was trembling. I slowly walked around the couch, needing to be closer to her, to comfort her.

"If I'd only-"

"Tessa, stop." I grabbed her shoulders gently. "It's not your fault. It's mine. Everything that happened that night is on me."

"But-"

"No. If I hadn't jumped to conclusions and taken off to the bar, you would have found me and told me everything. We could be laughing about it now, but I fucked up. I did that, Tess. Me. It's not your fault, any of it."

She sniffed, shaking her head. "If I'd only-"

"Tessa. It's on me. I should have run into that kitchen and kicked Benji's ass or made my presence known. Something- anything other than what I did. I should never have believed what I thought I saw. I should never have let myself think that you were using me as a rebound for that punk."

I took a deep breath. "It's on me, Tess. Please hear that. And I am so, so sorry for everything I've put you through because of it. Words can't express how sorry I am, but I want to fix this."

A tear escaped Tessa's eyes as she listened. I wiped it away, letting my hand linger on her cheek as I stepped closer. "I love you, Tessa. I never stopped loving you. Even when I hated you, I loved you. I will do whatever it takes to make you see that, to show you how much I care, how sorry I am. If it takes me a lifetime, I'll use every day to prove to you that I love you more than anything on this planet."

My thumb stroked her cheek as I whispered, "Please, just give me another chance."  

A/N:

A longer chapter for you all to start the weekend off right. How are we doing? Will Tessa give him another chance? 

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