The Return (De Laurel Trilogy #1)

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"Are you actually going?" Gigi raised a brow. "Are you actually going to give him a chance?"

"Maybe?" I shrugged. "I don't know, G." I groaned. "Should I?"

"Your choice, babes." She giggled.

"Thanks for the help." I sarcastically answered. "G, I need some advice here. Give me some."

"If you think he deserves a chance, then go. If there's a pit in your stomach, go. If you want to fill something up, go. If you feel nothing, then don't." She chuckled.

"I think that's helpful." I laughed. "I'm going. I think it will help clear the things for the both of us."

"Go get him girl!" She yelled.

I made a face before checking the time. It was about two hours before Alessandro's given time. I changed into a white tank top and skinny jeans. I paired it with a checkered flannel and some white sneakers.

"Olivia? I didn't think you were coming." Alexander looked up at me with shock. Honestly, he looked like a mess. His hair was pushed back, but some were scattered everywhere. His eyes looked like he was crying and his face looked like he hasn't been eating. His once bright blue orbs were now like the deep ocean. Empty.

"What happened to you?" I had the courage to ask. "You look, tired. Empty. Lifeless, even."

"When you left at Ayana's birthday it came to my senses to how much I hurt you. How much I broke your trust. Yet you still have the kindness to look me in the eye as if nothing had happened." He explained.

"I realized that I broke my promise and I'm deeply sorry. It's just that guilt has been creeping me, Liv. I promised I wouldn't leave you, but I did. And I regret that. I should've explained to you why I left that night, especially when you admitted all those stuff about you the same night it happened." He continued.

"I was just so selfish. I couldn't bare have the guilt if telling you that I have to go, seeing those grey orbs of yours glistening with sadness if I had to say goodbye. I wanted to just stop time and just tend to you and Pops the same time." He looked down.

I hadn't realized that we were already sitting on the bench, but we were.

"Funny you know? Pops' last words to me were, 'I'll be fine. As long as you're happy. Now go, go tell here that you love her. I'll be watching you do so, knowing that you're happy.' I didn't want to tell him that I didn't say it to you. That's why when I went back to Italy, I just gave him a smile and stayed by his side, holding his hand." He sniffled.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you that night, Olivia. I regret it so much that it has been eating me. I'm so so sorry. Will you give me the chance to make it up to you?" He asked, his eyes glistening with hope.

I did the last thing I last expected to do. I hugged him. I hugged him tightly as he wrapped his arms around me hugging me tighter.

When we pulled apart, there was an awkward silence between us.

"I had to go to a therapist again." I whispered. "When I had an internship in France I had to see an American Therapist there. I had nightmares of you leaving, saying that I was not good enough. I felt so insecure to the point that I almost dropped out my internship."

"I'm sorry." He repeated once again. "I didn't expect it to be that bad."

"You don't need to say that," I looked down. "I forgave you. When I had seen a small glance at you at my birthday. But I wanted to forget you. So bad."