Bridging Hearts

29. You don't have to say it twice, Arjun.

Him

I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. The sound echoed in the quiet night, and within moments, I heard footsteps approaching from the other side.

The door opened, and Arjun stood there, his expression unreadable. "Dante," he said, his voice steady but carrying an edge that hadn't been there before. "Come in."

I nodded and stepped inside, the familiar warmth of the house doing little to ease my nerves. As I glanced around, my eyes instinctively searched for her.

"Where's Tara?" I asked, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.

Arjun shut the door behind me and turned, crossing his arms over his chest. "She's in the bedroom," he said, his gaze never leaving mine. "But before you see her, we need to talk."

I knew this was coming. I hadn't expected Arjun to just step aside and let me speak to her without a conversation first. I sighed and nodded, motioning for him to continue.

He gestured for me to sit, but I remained standing, too restless to settle down. He let out a small sigh and finally spoke. "Dante, it's time you tell her everything. She deserves to know who you really are, what you've been involved in."

I clenched my fists, the weight of his words pressing on me. "I can't," I said quietly, looking away. "If she finds out... I'll lose her. She won't want to be with me after that."

Arjun's eyes narrowed, his voice sharp. "That's not your decision to make, Dante. It's hers. You can't keep her in the dark because you're afraid of what might happen. That's not fair to her."

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the frustration building. He wasn't wrong, but the fear of losing Tara had me paralyzed. "She's the only woman I've ever loved, Arjun. I don't want to push her away. What if she-"

Arjun cut me off, his tone firm but not unkind. "You can't control how she feels. If she decides to stay with you, then that's her choice. But if she decides this is too much... you can't force her to continue being with you, Dante."

The truth in his words hit me like a punch to the gut. I'd been so focused on keeping Tara close, on protecting her from my past, that I hadn't considered the consequences of keeping her in the dark. My silence was selfish, even if it was born out of fear.

I nodded slowly, swallowing the lump in my throat. "You're right. I should've told her sooner, but..." I paused, my voice dropping to a whisper. "If she walks away, I don't know if I can handle that."

Arjun's expression softened slightly. "She might surprise you, Dante. But you owe her the truth, no matter the outcome."

I looked up at him, feeling a mixture of gratitude and guilt. He was right. Tara deserved to know everything, even if it meant losing her. I couldn't keep living in this limbo, pretending that things would be fine if I just avoided the conversation.

"Alright," I finally said, my voice steadying. "I'll tell her."

Arjun nodded and gestured towards the hallway. "The room on the left. Good luck."

As I walked towards the bedroom, my mind raced with thoughts of what I was about to reveal.

I knocked softly on the bedroom door, trying to steady my nerves. "Tara?" I called out, my voice almost a whisper.

"Come in," came her voice from inside.

Her

I sat on my bed, legs folded beneath me, while Dante settled beside me. We exchanged a brief glance, both unsure of where to begin. I tried to keep my voice steady, masking the nervousness bubbling inside me.