The weight of the moment hung between them as they stood just outside Ocean's apartment. The cool evening air wrapped around them, but Skyler could feel the heat rising in his chest, his heart pounding beneath the surface. Ocean had finally given him a chance, finally let him explain, and though the conversation had been difficult, Skyler felt a fragile thread of hope begin to take root.
He wasn't ready to let go of that hope just yet.
With a soft, uncertain smile, Skyler shifted his weight, glancing at the door behind Ocean. "So," he said, his voice light but laced with nerves, "any chance you'll let me inside? Or are you going to leave me out here to freeze?" He chuckled softly, trying to ease the tension between them, his eyes glinting with a hint of playfulness.
Ocean hesitated, glancing at the door, then back at Skyler. His heart was racing, and for a moment, he wasn't sure what to do. Letting Skyler into his apartment felt like letting him back into his life, like lowering the walls he had spent so long building. But there was something in Skyler's eyes—something genuine, something vulnerable—that made Ocean's resolve waver.
Finally, with a small sigh, Ocean nodded. "Yeah, okay," he muttered, turning to unlock the door. "But only because I don't want you catching a cold."
Skyler's smile widened as Ocean pushed the door open and stepped inside, motioning for him to follow. As Skyler entered the apartment, he felt a rush of warmth, not just from the cozy space but from the fact that Ocean had let him in—literally and figuratively.
The apartment was small but familiar, filled with the quiet comfort of Ocean's presence. Skyler had been there before, back when things had been easier between them—before the blackmail, before the kiss, before everything had spiraled out of control. But now, the space felt different, charged with an unspoken tension that neither of them could quite ignore.
Ocean closed the door behind them, and for a few moments, they stood in silence, neither of them knowing exactly what to say. The quiet between them was thick, filled with unsaid words and lingering emotions, but it wasn't the same cold silence that had filled the past few weeks. This was something else—something more vulnerable, more fragile.
Both of their hearts were pounding. Ocean could feel it in his chest, the steady thrum of uncertainty and anticipation. He could feel Skyler's presence so close to him, feel the tension of everything unsaid pressing in on them. Part of him wanted to push Skyler away, to keep his distance like he had been doing for so long. But another part of him—the part that still loved Skyler—couldn't ignore the pull.
It was Skyler who finally broke the silence.
"Ocean," he said softly, taking a tentative step forward, his voice steady but filled with emotion. "There's something I need to say. Something I should've told you from the beginning."
Ocean glanced at him, his eyes guarded but curious. He didn't respond, but the silence was an invitation to continue.
Skyler took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts, and then, without hesitation, he reached out and gently took Ocean's hands in his own. Ocean's breath hitched at the contact, his heart skipping a beat. He hadn't expected that—hadn't expected Skyler to reach for him so easily, so confidently. But he didn't pull away.
"I rejected her," Skyler said, his voice firm but filled with sincerity. "Emily. I turned her down, Ocean. I told her I wasn't interested. I told her that... that I'm already taken."
Ocean's eyes widened, his heart pounding even harder. He searched Skyler's face, trying to process the words, trying to understand what he was saying.
"I know it looked bad," Skyler continued, his grip on Ocean's hands tightening just slightly, as if he was afraid to let go. "And I know I messed up. When she kissed me, I froze. I didn't push her away fast enough, and I know that hurt you. I know it made you think I didn't care. But I swear to you, Ocean, the second I realized what was happening, I stopped it. I told her that I'm not interested in her—that I'm... already in love with someone else."
Ocean's breath caught in his throat, his mind racing. Already taken? Already in love? The words echoed in his head, and for a moment, he wasn't sure if he had heard them right. He had spent so long convincing himself that Skyler didn't care, that Skyler had never really felt the same way. But now, standing here, hearing Skyler say those words, something inside him shifted.
"I've been in love with you for years," Skyler admitted, his voice soft but steady. "Long before we ever spoke. I've loved you since the first time I saw you back in high school. I never had the courage to tell you, never thought you'd feel the same. But I've loved you all this time. And I'm sorry for every mistake I've made that's hurt you."
Ocean stared at him, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to respond. Part of him wanted to cry, part of him wanted to push Skyler away, and part of him—**the part that still loved Skyler, the part that had always loved him—**wanted to believe every word.
"You don't have to say anything," Skyler said quickly, his voice a little shaky, as if he could sense Ocean's internal struggle. "I just needed you to know. I've made a mess of things, and I don't expect you to forgive me right away. But I had to tell you the truth. I had to let you know how much you mean to me."
Ocean's throat tightened, his hands still wrapped in Skyler's. He felt overwhelmed, like the walls he had built around himself were crumbling, brick by brick. Everything Skyler had just said—the love, the patience, the regret—it was almost too much to take in. But as much as Ocean's mind screamed at him to keep his distance, to protect himself from the hurt, his heart whispered something else.
You love him too.
The silence between them was thick, but this time, it wasn't painful. It was filled with possibility, with the chance of something healing. Ocean's gaze dropped to their hands, still intertwined, and he felt the warmth of Skyler's touch grounding him, steadying him.
"I don't know what to say," Ocean finally whispered, his voice trembling with the weight of his emotions. "I don't know if I can... if I'm ready to forgive you."
Skyler nodded, his eyes soft, understanding. "I get that. I don't expect you to. But I'll be here, Ocean. I'll be here, waiting, for as long as it takes. I'm not giving up on us."
Ocean's heart twisted painfully at those words—us. It felt fragile, like something new and delicate that could break with the slightest wrong move. But for the first time in weeks, Ocean allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could find their way back to each other.
Slowly, Ocean nodded. "Okay," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Okay."
It wasn't a promise of forgiveness. It wasn't an instant fix to all the hurt they had both been carrying. But it was a start.
As they stood there, hands still intertwined, the weight of their shared past and their uncertain future hanging between them, Skyler smiled softly—a smile that was filled with hope, with love, with the quiet promise that he wasn't going anywhere.
TBC. 🩵
