Between The Lines

Chapter 124: Elegant Script

I turned away from him, my hands trembling as I reached for the tangled lights again. "I don't know if I can do this, Lane."

He moved behind me, close enough that I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. "I'm not asking you to decide anything right now. I just... I need you to know that I'm not going anywhere."

I squeezed my eyes shut, my hands tightening around the lights. "You already did."

There was a long pause, and then his hands were on mine, gently prying the lights from my grip. "Let me help."

I didn't resist this time, too tired, too broken to fight anymore. He untangled the lights slowly, methodically, his fingers brushing against mine as he worked.

For a moment, it was quiet between us, the only sound the soft rustle of the lights as they fell free from their knots. And in that silence, something shifted. Something unspoken passed between us, something fragile and real.

When the last of the lights were free, he turned me to face him, his hands still holding mine. "I'm not asking for everything to be perfect. I just want a chance to make things right."

I looked up at him, my heart pounding in my chest. His eyes were filled with a kind of quiet desperation, the kind that made my chest ache.

His hands were still wrapped around mine, warm and steady, as if he thought letting go would mean losing me forever. He didn't say anything else—just stood there, watching me, waiting for an answer I wasn't sure I could give.

The small flicker of hope that had ignited inside me was terrifying. It was fragile, so fragile, and part of me wanted to stomp it out before it had a chance to grow into something bigger. Something that could hurt me all over again.

I swallowed hard, my eyes flicking between his face and the tangled mess of emotions swirling inside me. I didn't know if I could trust him. I didn't even know if I could trust myself.

But standing here, with him looking at me like that, like I was the only thing that mattered in the entire world... it was hard to keep my walls up.

"Lane..." I started, but the words got stuck in my throat. I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know what I wanted anymore. "I don't—"

He stepped closer, his fingers squeezing mine gently, his eyes searching mine. "You don't have to say anything right now. I just... I don't want you to feel like you're alone in this."

That was the problem, wasn't it? I wasn't alone—not physically. He was right here, standing inches from me, his presence so overwhelming it was hard to breathe. But emotionally? He had left me. He had shut me out when I needed him the most, and now he was back, asking for another chance, asking me to trust him again.

"I'm scared," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper.

He blinked, like my words had hit him straight in the chest. "I know," he said quietly, and the way he said it—so soft, so broken—made me feel like he understood more than I thought.

I bit my lip, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill over. I hated how vulnerable I felt right now, how exposed. "You hurt me."

"I know," he said again, his voice thick with regret. "And I'm so sorry. I swear, Rebecca, I never wanted to hurt you. I thought... I thought I was protecting you."

"From what?" I snapped, pulling my hands from his grasp. "From yourself? From your feelings? You pushed me away when I needed you the most."

He flinched, but he didn't argue. He didn't make excuses. He just stood there, letting me get it all out, letting me vent all the anger and frustration that had been building inside me for weeks.

"I get it, okay?" I continued, my voice rising. "You were dealing with your own stuff, and I know losing your mom was... it was awful. But you didn't even give me a chance to be there for you. You didn't give me a choice!"

The tears spilled over, and I wiped them away angrily, hating myself for crying in front of him. I hated how raw and messy everything felt. I hated that I still loved him, even after all the hurt, all the silence.

"Do you have any idea how hard it was for me?" I asked, my voice shaking. "To just... watch you shut down? To stand on the outside, knowing you wouldn't let me in?"

Lane stepped forward, reaching for me again, but I took a step back, putting distance between us.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice hoarse. "I thought... I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't want to dump all my crap on you when you were already dealing with so much. I didn't want to make things harder for you."

"Well, congratulations," I spat. "Because you did."

Silence fell between us, heavy and thick. I could see the guilt in his eyes, the pain. He looked like he wanted to say something, but no words came out.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "I don't know if I can do this again, Lane. I don't know if I can go through all of this just to end up hurt again."

He nodded, his expression grave. "I understand. But I swear to you, I'm not going to make that mistake again. I don't want to lose you, Rebecca. I can't lose you."

The sincerity in his voice cracked something inside me. I wanted to believe him. I needed to believe him. But there was still that part of me, that scared little voice, whispering that if I let him back in, he might break me all over again.

I looked down at the string lights, at the mess we had created, and then back up at him. "This isn't something that can be fixed with an apology. You can't just show up and expect me to forget everything that's happened."

"I'm not asking you to forget," he said softly. "I'm asking you to let me try. To let me earn your trust again."

I stood there, staring at him, feeling the weight of his words sink in. I didn't know if I was ready to forgive him, but a small part of me wanted to give him that chance. Because despite everything, I still loved him.

And maybe... maybe that was enough.

"Okay," I whispered.

His eyes widened, like he hadn't expected me to say that. "Okay?"

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. "I'll give you a chance. But you have to promise me something."

"Anything," he said, stepping closer.

I looked him straight in the eyes, my voice steady. "Don't ever shut me out again. If we're going to do this, we do it together. No more pushing me away."

He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he nodded. "I promise."

For a moment, neither of us moved. The tension between us was still thick, still electric, but it wasn't the same as before. There was something else now—something tentative, something fragile, but real.

And then, slowly, carefully, he reached out, his hand gently brushing against mine again. This time, I didn't pull away.

He smiled softly, his eyes filled with relief and something else, something warmer.

"I've missed you," he murmured, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand.

I looked away, biting my lip to keep from smiling. "Yeah, well... don't get used to it."

He chuckled softly, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a glimmer of something I hadn't felt in weeks.

Hope.

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Please Comment and share! -Luna xx