"Your words are powerful, Kyoko, but words alone won't mend the rift between us."
Anele's voice trembled as she tried to maintain her composure, shifting her gaze to the ground, as if avoiding the piercing honesty in Kyoko's eyes.
"I know that,"
Kyoko replied, her heart pounding in her chest like a war drum.
"but I'm ready to back them up with actions. Give me that chance—let me show you that I can stand up to my family. I can't erase the past, but I can fight against it."
Anele met her gaze, searching for something—anything—that would reassure her that Kyoko meant what she said.
"What if I give you that chance, and you fail? What if your family tears us apart again?"
Kyoko closed the distance between them, her hands reaching out tentatively, seeking Anele's.
"You won't be alone in this. I promise you, it won't just be my fight against them. It will be ours. I will build you up, support you, and protect you. That's what love is, isn't it?"
The word hung in the air like a crystal note, resonating deep within Anele's chest. Love—could she believe it? After everything, after so much loss, pain, and betrayal, could this be real?
"Love... can be both a shield and a weapon,"
Anele murmured, still hesitant.
"but it's also a risk, and I've already risked so much."
Her heart ached as she remembered the love that had turned sour in the past, the way trust had crumbled like fragile glass beneath the weight of betrayal. The familiar knot of fear twisted in her stomach.
"I know,"
Kyoko urged, squeezing Anele's hands gently, a lifeline offered in turbulent waters.
"and that's why I'm standing here before you—not asking for blind trust, but the opportunity to prove that I am capable of real change. Please, don't lock us in the past because of my family's choices. Make your own choice."
Anele's eyes searched Kyoko's. Slowly, she felt the steely resolve within her soften, though uncertainty still gnawed at her heart.
"What if... what if your family does see us as a threat?"
"They already do. They have for a long time,"
Kyoko answered, her voice steady with conviction.
"but this isn't just about them. It's about us. I refuse to let their influence dictate the life we could have together. I've spent too long standing in the shadows. Now, I want to step into the light—with you."
Tears brimmed in Anele's eyes as the weight of her fear began to lift. Kyoko's sincerity poured into the cracks in her heart like healing balm.
"I need you to let me go Kyoko,"
Kyoko got down from her chair and got down on her knees, not caring that she had on a designer suit. She grabbed Anele's hands but Anele pulled them back and reversed in her chair away from Kyoko.
" No don't do this. I've given you chances twice and both times you've failed to be honest with me. You've failed to choose me. It's always your family first and it's time that I accepted that."
Anele said, her voice fragile yet firm. Kyoko's heart plummeted at Anele's words, each syllable striking her like a physical blow. She remained on her knees, the weight of her own guilt pressing down harder than ever.
"No, Anele,"
she pleaded, desperation lacing her tone.
"I am choosing you. I always have. I was just—trapped. My family... they expect things from me but I won't let them dictate my choices anymore. I swear it."
Anele shook her head, tears spilling over as she fought to hold onto her resolve.
"You say that, but when push comes to shove, who will you really choose? Your family has always come first. I— I can't keep putting my heart on the line."
"I can't change the past,"
Kyoko admitted, frustration and sorrow mingling in her voice.
"but I can choose to fight for us in the present. I will show you that I'm ready to choose you this time."
"At what cost, Kyoko? Your family won't let you walk away easily. You'll be risking everything, and I don't want to be the reason you become estranged from them."
Anele's voice quivered, revealing her own vulnerability. Kyoko paused, her expression softening.
"You won't be,"
Kyoko insisted, a fierce determination igniting her gaze.
Kyoko stood, taking a step closer and reaching for Anele's hands again, her touch both solid and warm.
"Give me another chance babe."
Silence stretched between them, heavy with the weight of their unspoken fears and flickerings of hope. Kyoko's gaze held the promise of a future, a future both thrilling and terrifying.
Anele's resistance wavered, and for a moment, she felt the pull of something beautiful rising from the ashes of their past. Could love be both shield and weapon? Could it truly be a means to fight against the darkness?
"Kyoko..."
Anele breathed, her heart aching with uncertainty and longing. The decision loomed in front of her, and with every beat of her heart, she knew they were standing at the precipice of a new beginning. She had a choice to make—one that could change everything.
YOU ARE READING
WHEN I NEEDED YOU. ( Lesbian Slow Updates.)
General Fiction" Stupid me. I thought you were different." " But I-" " Get away from me! I don't ever want to see your fat face again." Nothing hurt more than her words and the look of disgust on her face. The one person who she thought would believe her did not...
