Atomic Love [2]

Chapter 40 - Apologise Pt. 1

TW: Swearing

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Chapter 40

June 12, Saturday

No one's POV

Maeva, with her hair tied back into a ponytail, had her fist raised against the door of Nate's house, though hesitant to actually knock.

Maeva had a good reason to hold onto that grudge against Nate. She didn't know that Nate didn't choose to kiss Ellie, she only knew that Nate kissed someone, and that someone wasn't her; who he swore to be the only person he wanted to kiss.

Sure, she might've overreacted a bit, and could've at least heard him out, though it just pained her knowing that if she trusted him again, the result of whatever happens then could turn out either really good or terribly bad, just like what happened with her dad: Maeva chose to trust that man again, trusted his word that he would visit her more regularly, and talk to her more, though only ended with neither of them able to see each other ever again.

And then there's the whole Oskar situation. Maeva decided to trust this guy, trust him with her heart, and her care, and it turns out he was the last person she should be with.

Trust was always something that came hard for Maeva. Her father left her when she was just a little girl who was only going into the first grade. She had her brother taken away from her and ended up barely able to see him. Yet throughout all of it, she trusted Nate. And even if what happened wasn't his fault, Maeva still ended up having to go through the pain of that trust being broken.

Maeva didn't go over to Nate's house to ask for him back. She knows now that he did no wrong, and that it was all a misunderstanding, and that her constantly rejecting him must've broken him repeatedly. She just wanted to apologise, to let him know that she knows better now, that she only wants his forgiveness; nothing more.

But yet Maeva still didn't knock. She didn't want to risk it-- risk having her heart broken from a rejection that she kept giving Nate again, and again, and again. So she put her hand beside her once more, swiftly turning around to walk away. But before Maeva could even make it to the steps, she heard the door open behind her as she stopped in her tracks.

"Hey," Nate called out, his voice sounding so sad and dry and empty; and it only pained her more knowing that she was the one that caused it.

Maeva didn't want to turn around-- she didn't want to see Nate in such a terrible state, knowing that it was all of her fault. But she still did. The least she could do was look at him.

"Hi," Maeva said, her voice higher than she meant. It was awkward between them, and Maeva didn't like it one bit. "I-- I wanted to see you." She then uttered out, sounding so quiet.

Nate caught himself smiling ever so slightly. Jeremy called him after the whole situation yesterday. A small part of Nate couldn't help but feel relieved, relieved that Maeva finally believed him.

Though, he was still mad. His whole year of trying didn't work. He, himself, wasn't enough, his efforts weren't enough, his proving to her that he was madly in love with her... wasn't enough. He was tossed away so easily over a small misunderstanding.

"So... you know now? You know it wasn't my fault?" Nate rasped out, leaning against the door frame as he looked down at his feet. "Yea," Maeva muttered, nodding, staring straight at him. He looked pale, feeble. He looked sick-- of her and her stubbornness.