Dreams Can Come True

69. A good conversation

It was a cold evening when I arrived at Bas's apartment. The streets were deserted, and an icy wind sliced through the night air. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Elise standing outside, her body wrapped in a thin coat, her arms crossed to protect herself from the cold.
As soon as she spotted me, a smile broke through on her face, and she hurried towards my car. Her steps were hurried, her breath visible in the cold night air. I opened the door for her, immediately feeling the icy cold that surrounded her as she got in. A shiver ran down her spine as she nestled into the warmth of the car. Her hands were ice-cold when I held them, and a concerned frown creased my forehead.
"How long were you waiting outside?" I asked, concerned, as I rubbed her hands between mine to warm them up.
"Not long," she replied with a small smile, but I could tell she was lying. Still, I didn't press further and instead opened my arms to her. Without hesitation, she nestled into my embrace, her face hidden against my chest. I felt her shivers against my skin as I held her, trying to share my warmth with her.
I pressed a few kisses to her hair and whispered soft words of reassurance. "Come on, let's drive to the apartment," I eventually said, holding her close to me as I started the car. She nodded in agreement, her emotions still palpable in the air between us.
"I left a note for Bas so he won't worry early tomorrow morning," she suddenly said, a slight smile on her lips. I chuckled softly. "I left a note for Tom too," I confessed with a playful look. She broke our embrace and sat up straight, her gaze fixed on me. "Just drive home," she stated. I nodded and started the engine, my thoughts filled with hope for reconciliation and healing between us both.

After a short drive, we finally reached Elise's new apartment, the clock striking past three when we crossed the threshold. Without much ado, we immediately made our way to the bedroom and sat on the bed, surrounded by the silence of the night.
I started with a deep sigh and looked Elise straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry," I whispered softly, my voice filled with genuine regret. "I should have listened to you better. I assumed you just wanted your own space, but I didn't realize how important it was for you to achieve this on your own."
Elise looked me in the eyes and immediately apologized too. "I'm sorry too, Bill," she said in a whisper. "I should have been clearer. It's just... difficult for me to talk about these things, especially when it comes to my past in the other world."
I noticed the vulnerability in her voice and gently placed my hand on her knee to reassure her. "It's okay, Elise," I said softly. "I understand it's not easy for you. But we can get through this together."
She nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on the sheets. "It's just... this is all new to me," she began hesitantly. "I mean, this is the first time I'm really in a relationship, and sometimes... sometimes I just don't know how to handle all of this."
I listened attentively to her words, my heart filling with understanding for her situation. "It's okay to feel that way, Elise," I reassured her. "We're both learning together how to deal with things. We can grow together and support each other, in any way we can."
"And yes," I continued. "We'll probably have arguments again, but that's normal. What's important is that we learn from this, that we always communicate honestly with each other and support each other, even when it's difficult."
Elise looked at me, her eyes full of emotion. "You mean too much to me to just lose like that, Bill," she said sincerely.
I smiled and gently squeezed her hand. "And you mean everything to me too, Elise," I assured her. "Shall we agree that the next time we have an argument, we'll talk it out instead of walking away?" I asked hopefully.
Elise looked at me gratefully and nodded, a smile of relief evident on her face. "Is this real love, Bill?" she asked softly. Her gaze intensified, and she continued, "I mean, normally I always walk away in such situations, but now..." Her voice broke for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. "Now, I couldn't walk away. My whole body was screaming for you, I had to be with you, I had to discuss and solve this together with you." I looked deeply into her eyes and smiled. "Yes, this is real love, Elise," I answered sincerely.
I wanted to hold her, but she stopped me with one hand. "One more thing," she said with a playful wink.
"Bill, please let me pay rent for this apartment," she suddenly said, her voice determined. "I don't want to just receive this as a gift." My first instinct was to protest, especially since we would soon be going on tour, and she would then be paying rent to me for an apartment she wouldn't even be in. But then I saw the seriousness in her eyes and understood how important this was to her. I nodded slowly, a smile appearing on my face.
"Shall we keep the original price?" I asked her, my heart warmed by her determination and pride. Her smile grew even wider as she reached out her hand to me and said, "Deal." Instead of shaking her hand, I gently pulled her towards me and pressed my lips to hers, a sign of reconciliation and love between us both.