Shouts and Sweet Surrender.

Chapter 12: Cracks in the Foundation

Ian sat on the edge of the dock, staring out at the lake. The water was still, reflecting the stars that had begun to twinkle in the darkening sky. He had always found peace here, but tonight, the calm surface of the lake did nothing to quiet the storm inside him.

He had given Lola space, time to process everything, but now he was starting to wonder if that had been a mistake. Maybe he had given her too much space, too much room to pull away. And now, he wasn't sure if she would ever come back.

He had never doubted his feelings for her—his love for her had been unwavering from the start. But now, for the first time, he was beginning to doubt whether that love was enough. Because love, as much as he believed in it, couldn't fix everything. It couldn't make Lola stay.

"Maybe I've been fooling myself," he thought, his chest tightening at the realization. He had always believed that if he just waited long enough, if he was patient and understanding, Lola would eventually come around. But what if she didn't? What if she never did?

The thought was almost too painful to bear.

He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers tightening in frustration. He had always been the calm one, the steady one, the one who held everything together. But now, he felt like he was unraveling, like everything he had worked so hard to build was falling apart. And the worst part was, there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Ian stood up, pacing the length of the dock, his mind racing. He had never been one to give up on the people he loved, but now he was starting to wonder if holding on was only making things worse. Maybe he was just prolonging the inevitable.

"What am I even doing?" he muttered to himself, his voice low and filled with frustration. He had spent so much time waiting for Lola, hoping that she would open up to him, that she would finally let him in. But now, it felt like he was the only one fighting for them. And as much as it killed him to admit it, he wasn't sure if he could keep doing this.

He stopped at the edge of the dock, staring down at the water. The reflection of the stars danced on the surface, their light flickering and fading with each ripple. Ian closed his eyes, letting out a long breath. He didn't want to give up. He didn't want to lose her. But maybe... maybe he had already lost her.

The thought hit him like a punch to the gut, leaving him breathless. He had always believed that love was enough, that if he just held on long enough, things would work out. But now, he wasn't so sure. Maybe love wasn't enough. Maybe, sometimes, no matter how much you loved someone, it wasn't enough to keep them from leaving.

Ian's chest tightened, his heart aching with the weight of everything he had been holding in. He wanted to believe that things would get better, that they could still make it work. But the cracks in their foundation were growing deeper, and he wasn't sure if they could be fixed.

"I love you, Lola," he whispered into the quiet night, his voice barely audible. He had said those words so many times in his mind, but now, speaking them out loud, they felt like a goodbye.

The wind picked up, sending a chill through the air, but Ian barely noticed. He was lost in his thoughts, in the painful realization that maybe it was time to let go.

But even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew that letting go of Lola would be the hardest thing he had ever done.