„It's getting quite dark, I think we should maybe head back?" Charles asked.
He was right, it had gotten quite dark. The moon hadn't come out fully yet, but the sun had almost completely gone down.
Since it was only the end of August, it was still pretty warm outside. If they waited longer though, it would probably get too dark, since there would be no streetlights guiding them home for some of the way.
He was right.
Rationally speaking.
She didn't want him to be though. She wanted to stay in this moment of utter peace for a while longer. She didn't want it to end and she didn't want to face reality again.
Right now, they were in a good place. They had made up and cleared the problems away. There was still a long way to go though, and that was precisely what she was scared of.
Right now, it all felt too good to be true. It felt like before so fast. Maybe too fast?
She couldn't let herself care about that, at least not while they were still together.
She'd have to care once this night ended.
There was so much pain and struggle over the past couple of weeks, she almost wanted this moment to last forever.
„I don't want to leave, but I think we have to," she spoke quietly.
Charles sighed „I know, I don't want to leave either but eventually we have to. I also think you need some time to progress things. I know you're brain is going to be smoking by the time we said good night."
Fiona joined Charles in chuckling quietly, before she turned serious again. „I'm afraid of what will happen once we do."
„What exactly are you afraid of?" he asked.
„I'm afraid that this," she said gesturing between the two of them „is too good to be true. We certainly have got some work to do, to fully overcome everything that happened. I'm afraid that there's something going to come up, that will burst this bubble we just build. And, I am also afraid that my head is going to get the better of me again and I'm going to screw it all up, because I can't let myself fall."
Charles raised his eyebrows „You're the one that's afraid of screwing up after that is exactly what I just did?"
Fiona looked down at her hands and shrugged „Yeah."
It was quiet for a second, before she felt his hand on one of hers, making her look back up to him. „May I?" he asked carefully.
When she gave him a curt nod he took both of her hands firmly, giving them a reassuring squeeze.
„You seem to have forgotten who you're dealing with. I know you, Fiona. I know you tend to overthink and I know exactly how to handle that. I've done it for years and I haven't run away from you, have I?"
She shook her head.
No, he hasn't.
He did the opposite.
„Good. Remember that. I meant what I said earlier. I love you, Fiona. I'm not going anywhere and I'll give you all the time you need. You don't have to put yourself under any pressure. I'm staying and you're not going to be able to get rid of me."
Fiona desperately needed someone to pinch her right now. This guy in front of her had to be a dream.
Fortunately for her, he wasn't. He was sitting here with her next to him and telling her everything she could've ever wished to hear.
He loved her.
He said it twice now.
She had dreamed about this moment a lot over the years. Never would she have imagined it to happen like this though. In fact she never would have imagined it to happen at all, but it did.
