Ah, the weekend was finally here. After a long, dragging week, the comfort of a quiet, slow-paced Saturday was a blessing I didn't know I needed.
My room was my haven, the dim light of my bedside lamp casting soft shadows against the walls.
The silence was perfect, the type that cradled my thoughts and let me breathe.
But then a knock.
Soft but deliberate.
I froze. My heart skipped. Who could it be this late?
Pulling myself from the bed, my feet whispered across the floor as I cautiously made my way to the door.
When I opened it, I was not prepared for who stood there.
Daniel.
Hands in his pockets, eyes low but intense, lips slightly parted like he had practiced a hundred versions of what to say, but none of them felt quite right.
"Can I come in?" he asked, his voice low, almost a whisper.
I blinked, hesitating only for a heartbeat. "Sure... sure you can."
He stepped inside, and suddenly the room wasn't just mine anymore.
It holds history now. It held him. As I closed the door behind him, I leaned against it, needing something solid.
"I didn't know you were coming," I said quietly.
"I couldn't stay away," he replied honestly. "I needed to see you."
I offered a small nod, heart thudding, emotions swirling.
I motioned for him to sit. He did—on the edge of my bed.
I sat beside him, close enough to feel the warmth between us.
"I've been carrying this with me for a while now," he began, looking straight ahead.
"And tonight, I just... I can't keep it inside anymore."
"Why now?" I asked, my voice a breath.
"Because sometimes," he said, meeting my gaze, "you have to take a chance before it's too late."
He paused, then added, "I'm sorry for hurting you. I truly am.
I didn't come here to confuse you, I came to apologize, to show you I'm not the same guy who broke your trust."
I swallowed hard. "Then why did you hurt me?"
He didn't flinch. He didn't run from the question.
"I was chasing validation.
I didn't even know it at the time. But you, Nuella, you weren't just someone I wanted to win over.
You made me feel seen, and I panicked. I ruined it."
I listened, eyes fixed on him, reading every unspoken regret on his face.
"And Mira?" I asked, almost bitterly. "Is she still in your life?"
"No," he said without hesitation. "I ended things with her; She's gone. That chapter's closed."
My heart pulled in opposite directions, longing and fear.
Love and pain.
"I don't know if I can trust you," I admitted softly.
"But I also don't know if I can let you go."
His hand moved toward mine, and this time, I didn't pull away.
His fingers wrapped around mine with care, not pressure.
"Then let me show you," he said, eyes locked with mine.
"Let me prove it."
I nodded slightly. "I'm not making promises, Daniel. But I'm here. I'm listening."
His face lit up not with triumph, but with hope.
As silence fell again, I whispered, "Your friends told me you weren't feeling well.
I almost came to check on you."
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yeah… they said that, didn't they?
Let's just say… they got creative. I'm fine.
But now that I'm here, maybe I should act sick so you don't send me away."
She laughed softly, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."
"But charming?"
"Barely."
A pause.
Then slowly, as if the space between us had been waiting to close, Daniel leaned in.
I didn't stop him.
Our lips met gently, no rush, no demands.
Just a kiss that tasted like memories and second chances.
His hand rested lightly against my cheek, and I leaned in for a moment longer before pulling back.
"I can't…" she said softly, heart racing. "Not too far. Not yet."
He nodded, brushing his thumb across my knuckles. "I get it. I'll wait as long as it takes."
I smiled faintly, touched by the gentleness in his tone.
"I'm already here, Nuella," he added. "And I'm not going anywhere."
As he held my gaze, I saw it was genuine remorse, patient love, and maybe… a new beginning.