Let Me Love You | Toni Kroos

Chapter 5 - Swing Your Worries Away

Gabi's POV

I was awoken by the slight but distinct sound of voices arguing, just like I had been for a few times the past few months. I got out of bed and opened my room door slightly, trying to listen just a bit.

It was my parents again, arguing about another of their small problems. They always made up after it, but I wish they wouldn't quarrel in the middle of the night. It wasn't really nice to wake up to your parents arguing in their room, thinking you can't hear them.

The clock read 3 in the morning, so I crawled back into bed and tried to go back to sleep. But I couldn't keep the muffled voices from reaching my ears through the walls and through the door, and I couldn't keep my eyes or ears closed anymore when I heard the voices become louder and pass by my door as my parents brought their argument downstairs.

I got out of bed and went to my window. The lights on the opposite house were all turned off, given the time of the night. I looked down at the pipe that Toni always used to climb into my window. Could I use it to climb down? I'd never tried, but that night I did. I grabbed my house keys and stuck them in my pocket, and then I walked to the window again.

As quietly as I could, I climbed over the ledge and slowly shimmied down the pipe, only to lose my footing at the end and fall a few inches to the ground. I lay there in the leaves, panting slightly, just relieved that I managed to make it down.

Instinctively, I walked up to Toni's front door, and I was about to knock on it when I realised that he was probably already asleep peacefully, so I turned back around and started walking down the street.

Suddenly, I heard someone running behind me, before Toni appeared beside me, panting.

"Hey," he breathed. "What's wrong?"

I turned and looked at him, surprised. There was a look of deep concern on his face. "What...were you, like, jogging? At this time?"

"No," he laughed softly. "I woke up to pee, and I saw you fall down the pipe and walk to my door, but you didn't knock."

"Oh," I said. "Yeah. I thought you were sleeping."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I whispered. "I just...I needed to take a walk."

"Really?" he asked. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

"Yeah. Go back, okay? Go back to sleep."

He stared at me, the look of worry on his face intensifying. "Can I walk with you?"

"No," I whispered again, my voice disappearing, feeling tears forming in my eyes. "Go back and rest."

"Gabi," he said, grabbing my arm and stopping me from walking any further. "Gabi, what happened? Please don't cry. Talk to me, Gabi."

I looked at him, my tears streaming down my face slowly, and I felt something I'd never felt before. I felt my heart start beating quickly in my chest as I looked at his face, illuminated slightly under the streetlights, and I felt a strong sense of happiness, even though I was crying. I felt happy that I had him by my side. It was so late at night, and we were both so tired, so I felt so overwhelmed and confused by it all.

"It's okay," I told him, removing his hand from my arm. "Go back to bed, okay? I need to be alone."

I continued walking as he stopped and continued staring at me from the back. He didn't run after me, or so I thought, so I just walked down the road and towards the park on my own.

Toni's POV

I walked as quietly as I could behind Gabi, because I just couldn't leave her alone at that time of the night, especially since she was upset. She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice me there behind her, but I accidentally kicked a rock too hard, making it skid across a metal drain and making a loud sound.