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“You scared me earlier,” she finally murmurs.
“I know,” I admit and run a hand over my face with a sigh. “I shouldn’t have said those things.”
“But you did.” Chloe looks down at her hands, and she starts biting the corner of her bottom lip. Seeing how upset she is just makes me feel even worse for snapping at her like I did.
“I’m sorry, Chloe,” I say. “Truly, I am.”
Seeing the disbelief in her eyes, I say it again, “I am truly sorry.”
There’s an earnestness in my voice that even I hadn’t expected. She glances up at me, her face unreadable, but I see a glimmer of hope hidden deep within her gaze.
She doesn’t speak for a while, seemingly gathering her thoughts, but then, she finally breaks the silence. “Barging into someone’s room in the middle of the night holding their favorite flowers doesn’t make up for what you did.”
“I know. I don’t expect it to. But I wanted to let you know how much I regret my words. It was totally uncalled for to talk to you like that.”
Chloe frowns slightly, scrutinizing my face, I’m guessing for any sign of insincerity. I dare not break away from this stare-down. It isn’t about winning or losing—it’s about opening up to someone who means more to me than I’d like to admit.
“Then why did you say them?” she asks after a moment.
The words hang in the air between us, and I can’t help but feel a lump forming in my throat. I’ve never been one for baring my soul, not even to the closest people in my life. But Chloe, she has a way of breaking down my walls, making me want to share every raw and painful part of myself with her.
“I was scared,” I confess while looking down at the roses clasped tightly in my hands. They’re wilting slightly now, just like my bravado. “I am scared.”
“You’re scared?” she echoes, and her eyes widen with surprise.
“Yes.” I admit. Meeting her gaze once more, I sigh as a weight lifts off my shoulders for having said it out loud.
Then, there’s silence again, which is only interrupted by the distant sound of crickets and the rustle of leaves.
“Come inside,” she murmurs. That simple invitation brings a wave of relief. I nod, stepping down from the windowsill and into her room.
Chloe looks at me, then glances at the flowers. She reaches out and takes them, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she studies them.
“They’re beautiful,” she murmurs and sets them on her desk. When she turns back around to face me, there’s a vulnerability in her eyes that matches my own.
“I’m sorry for hurting you,” I say again. This time, the words don’t sound hollow or rehearsed. They’re simply the truth. “It won’t happen again. I promise.”
Chloe looks at me for a long moment, her gaze heavy with uncertainty. Then, to my surprise, she laughs softly. “You know, Parker, you have a very romantic and cinematic way of apologizing.”
I can’t help but chuckle at her observation. There’s still tension in the air, thick and palpable, but her laughter lightens it somewhat.
“What can I say? I’m a man of grand gestures,” I reply, my tone teasing as I maneuver around the room to sit on the edge of her bed.
She shakes her head slightly at my flippant response and sits beside me, maintaining an appropriate distance that I respect. Just because the tension between us has lightened doesn’t mean she’ll just magically forget what I said. She gazes down at her fidgeting fingers in her lap.
“Promises are easy to make,” she murmurs after a few moments of silence. “But they’re not always easy to keep.”
I nod. “I know. But I mean it, Chloe.”
Chloe finally turns to face me, and our eyes meet. She appears contemplative as she studies my face before letting out a small sigh.
“Alright,” she says softly. She holds my gaze for another moment before breaking into a small smile.
“Alright?” I ask hesitantly.
She reaffirms with a nod, her smile growing a bit. “Alright. I forgive you.”
I release a long breath, my shoulders sagging.
