Forever ; W.S

13. apology not accepted?

IRL

Walker slumped onto his bed, the soft light from his bedside lamp barely illuminating his troubled expression. His room was a familiar sanctuary, but tonight, it felt like a prison of regret and self-recrimination. The room seemed to close in on him, a physical manifestation of the emotional weight he carried. He had been wrestling with his feelings for weeks now, unable to shake the realization that he had pushed away Penelope—the one person who had meant the world to him.

The days since their fallout had been a haze of regret and longing. Every interaction, every moment of solitude, had been tainted by the memory of their last conversation, which had been filled with harsh words and unresolved feelings. He had acted out of jealousy, an emotion that had driven a wedge between them and had turned his thoughts into a storm of anger and confusion. The jealousy that had seemed so overpowering at the time now felt like a distant, foolish mistake, one that had cost him his closest friend.

His phone lay beside him on the bed, the screen dark and still. He had been hesitant to reach out, afraid of reopening old wounds or facing Penelope's potential anger. Yet, after numerous conversations with his sister Leena, he realized he couldn't continue living with the guilt. Leena had been a beacon of clarity in his murky sea of emotions. Her words had pierced through his self-pity: "If you want to fix this, you need to be honest. Show her that you're willing to work on your mistakes."

The anxiety gnawed at him as he picked up his phone and unlocked it. He navigated to Penelope's contact and stared at her name on the screen. The name alone stirred a deep ache within him. He wanted to fix things, but the fear of how Penelope might react was paralyzing. He started typing, his fingers hovering uncertainly over the keyboard.

IMESSAGES

Poppy 💓

Penelope, I've been doing a lot
of thinking lately, and I've come
to realize how wrong I was.
My jealousy clouded my judgment,
and I pushed you away when I
should have been working to
understand and support you. I am
truly sorry for the way I acted and for
the distance I've created between us. I
miss you and regret how things ended.
I know that a message can't undo the
hurt, but I want you to know that I am
committed to making things right. I
understand if you're not ready to talk
or if you need space, but I had to reach
out and be honest about how I feel.

He stared at the message, his chest tightening with a mix of hope and dread. He took a deep breath and hit send, watching as the message disappeared into the digital ether. The finality of his action was both relieving and terrifying. The next few minutes felt like an eternity, each second dragging as he waited for a response. Finally, his phone buzzed with a new message. He hesitated before opening it, bracing himself for whatever Penelope might say.

Walker, I appreciate that you reached out,
but you need to understand that it's not
just about saying you're sorry. You can't just
come back after you left me and expect
things to be okay. It hurts too much to just
switch back to how things were. I need
time and space to heal from this. I hope you understand.

IRL

Walker felt a sharp pang in his chest as he read her reply. The words hit him with a brutal clarity. Penelope's message was a reminder of the pain he had caused and the distance he had created. He understood the gravity of her words—she wasn't just upset; she was hurt, and rightfully so. His actions had consequences, and he had to face them.

He sat back on his bed, the reality of the situation sinking in. The message from Penelope was both a painful reminder of his mistakes and a harsh but necessary wake-up call. He realized now that his jealousy had not only strained their friendship but had also left deep scars that couldn't be easily healed.

Walker knew he had a long road ahead of him if he ever hoped to mend things with Penelope. The journey wasn't just about apologizing; it was about proving through actions that he was capable of change. He needed to give Penelope the space she asked for and work on understanding his own emotions better.

He put his phone aside, feeling the weight of his decisions. There was no easy way to fix what had been broken, but he resolved to face his mistakes and work on becoming a better person, both for himself and for the possibility of repairing his relationship with Penelope.

authors note!

sorry :((