𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄

15 ꨄ .

!¡ / # omniscient pov 🌆
★ 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 , 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒓𝒌 ★
                                                    9:17 Am

DD COULD'T shake the feeling of dread that sat heavy in his chest as he stared out the window of his car. The moonlight reflected off the water, casting an eerie glow that only made his nerves worse. He'd spent the past week trying to piece everything together, trying to get back into Ari's good graces. He knew he'd fucked up—big time—and he wasn't sure if there was anything he could do to make things right. But he had to try.

The truth was, he didn't want to lose her. Not like this. Not after everything they'd been through, everything they shared. But after the fight, after the way he acted—he knew he'd pushed her to her limits. And now, here he was, parked in front of the lake, struggling to figure out what came next.

Ari hadn't said much since she got in the car. She was still processing, still digesting the weight of the conversation they'd had earlier. DD had apologized. He'd begged for her forgiveness. But he wasn't sure if words were enough anymore. She deserved more than apologies. She deserved actions. And he was willing to give her that.

But the silence between them was heavy, thick with all the unspoken words, the hurt, the fear of losing something real. DD's fingers tightened around the steering wheel, his grip tightening as he tried to push down the anxiety threatening to overtake him.

"Are you okay?" Ari's voice cut through the quiet, soft but steady. She wasn't looking at him—her eyes were fixed on the window, staring out at the moonlit water. But the question hung in the air between them, a lifeline to something deeper.

DD exhaled, trying to steady his nerves. "I don't know. I'm trying to figure out how to fix this."

Ari nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line. She still wasn't looking at him, but DD could feel the weight of her gaze, the way she was watching him out of the corner of her eye. She didn't trust him—not completely. Not yet. And who could blame her?

"You can't just fix it with words," Ari said, her voice low, almost inaudible over the sound of the engine idling. "It's gonna take more than that, DD. You hurt me."

"I know," he responded quickly, his tone filled with regret. "I know I hurt you. I just... I didn't know how to make it right. I didn't know how to deal with everything on my own, and I shut you out. I'm sorry for that."

Ari finally turned her head to look at him, her eyes searching his face for something she wasn't sure she'd find. There was no anger in her eyes anymore, but there was still a wall. A barrier she wasn't ready to tear down. She didn't say anything, just let the silence stretch out between them.

After a few minutes, DD couldn't take it anymore.
"Look... I know I fucked up. I know I can't take back what I said, but listen, I need you to hear me out. I ain't finna give up on us, Ari. I ain't just gon' dip 'cause shit got rough. I need you to know that. 'Cause you mean more to me than anything, for real

The words hung in the air, thick with the weight of their meaning. Ari's eyes softened, but she didn't say anything. She didn't need to. The tension between them wasn't gone, but it had shifted, softened just a little. There was still so much left to work through, but for the first time in this situation, DD felt like they were finally moving in the right direction.

Ari leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes for a moment, letting out a slow breath. "I don't know what to say, DD. I just... I need time. I can't keep pretending like everything's fine when it's not. I need space to think."

"I get that," DD replied quietly, nodding in understanding. "I just want to make it right, that's all. I don't want to lose you."

Ari didn't answer right away, her mind racing with everything that had happened, everything that was at stake. She had spent so long trying to keep herself together, trying to protect her heart from getting hurt again. But somewhere along the way, she had let herself fall for him. And now, standing here, faced with the wreckage of their relationship, she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to fix it.