Afterlight ✔️

chapter fifty-six

— Chloe Romano

As I prepared dinner, the familiar sound of Justin's footsteps approached from behind. I was focused on stirring the pot when I felt his warm presence close in. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on the back of my head, making me smile. I turned around to meet his gaze, but before I could greet him, my eyes landed on the book in his right hand. I recognized it immediately: my old diary, the one I had abandoned months ago. Seeing it in his hands made my heart skip a beat.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. I leaned back against the kitchen counter, crossing my arms, trying to read his expression. "What's up?" I asked, keeping my voice casual.

Justin held the diary up slightly, a small, almost sheepish smile tugging at his lips. "I didn't know you had a diary."

"Well, now you do." I raised an eyebrow, feeling a mix of curiosity and vulnerability. "I started it when we were broken up," I admitted. "I needed some way to work through everything. The guys... they didn't really get it, you know? I guess it was my way of coping with what we were going through."

He didn't speak right away, instead gently pressing the diary into my hands. "I didn't realize what it was at first. I opened it and read a page before I understood. I'm sorry." His voice was soft, laced with genuine regret.

My chest tightened, but I wasn't mad at him. I knew, deep down, that I had always intended to share those feelings with him eventually. "No, it's fine," I reassured him. "Really. It's not like I didn't want you to know what I was going through."

But there was something different in his expression now. Sadness, maybe even guilt, had crept into his eyes, darkening them in a way that made my heart ache. "I'm sorry, baby," he whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

"Justin, don't," I replied softly. "It's fine—"

"I don't just mean reading the diary," he interrupted, his hand moving to the back of his neck as he scratched it, clearly struggling to find the right words. "I mean... I'm sorry for everything. For everything you went through because of me this past year. If I could, I'd go back and redo it all."

"Justin," I said, a soft smile playing at my lips as I stepped closer to him, placing my hand on his chest. "I'd go through it all over again if I had to. All of it. Because now, I know where I stand. I know who I can trust. It brought us to where we are today, and that makes it worth it. Our story... it's ours. I wouldn't change a thing."

He nodded slowly, letting my words sink in. "Today was nice," he said, a quiet shift in the conversation. I was grateful for it—sometimes it was better to look forward than back. "Julia's a great kid."

"She really is," I agreed, glancing past him toward the living room. "I used to babysit her a couple of years ago."

Justin's smile softened. "She's in the guest room, sleeping. I tucked her in."

I couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing the little wrinkles around his eyes whenever he smiled made my heart flutter. It was such a genuine smile, one that spoke of quiet contentment and something deeper. "You're not as bad as I expected," I teased.

He raised an eyebrow, amused. "What did you expect?"

"I don't know," I said, turning off the stove and enjoying the comfortable silence that settled between us. There was no one else in the house tonight, just the two of us. Outside, the birds were chirping faintly, and beyond that, nothing but peaceful quiet. The moment felt right—maybe it was time. "You're going to be a great father one day," I said casually, though my heart raced. "I guess."

Justin's smile widened, lighting up his whole face. "You think so?"

I hesitated for a second, feeling the weight of the words I was about to speak. This was it. I was finally going to tell him. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "You know how you thought I was acting weird yesterday?"