Twisted love

Heartstrings and Heartbreaks

Chapter Twenty-one:

Oliver's POV - Present Day

As I climbed the stairs to Andrew's apartment, my heart raced, and an uneasy feeling settled in my gut. I knew Katherine was here. I could feel it in every fiber of my being, a mix of dread and hope battling within me. Hope that maybe, just maybe, I could finally talk to her, to clear the air that had been suffocating us both for far too long.

The door swung open, and there she was. Katherine stepped out of Andrew's bedroom, her robe wrapped around her, hair slightly disheveled, looking like someone who had just awakened from a dream—or a nightmare. The sight struck me like a punch to the gut, and guilt washed over me in waves. I had known this would happen, yet seeing her like this felt like a betrayal of everything I thought we had.

"Kat," I breathed, and she froze, wide eyes locking onto mine.

"Oliver," she replied, her voice barely a whisper.

The question in her gaze was palpable. She was silently asking if I had come to fight, to beg for forgiveness, or maybe to reclaim something that had long been lost. But before I could gather my thoughts, Andrew emerged from the bedroom, a fierce protectiveness radiating from him.

"Oliver," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You need to leave."

I felt a surge of frustration. I wasn't here to cause trouble; I was here to fix things. "It's okay, Andrew," Katherine interjected, her hand reaching out to stop him. "I'm fine. I can talk to him."

The tension was thick as Andrew reluctantly stepped aside, his expression still protective. I moved forward, my heart pounding, trying to ignore the way Andrew's gaze burned into me.

"I just want to talk," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Please."

Katherine nodded, and we settled into the small living room, Andrew leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. The air crackled between us, a storm of unspoken words hanging heavily.

"I know this is complicated," I started, struggling to find the right words. "But you need to understand something." I took a deep breath, gathering the courage to lay it all out. "Sophie manipulated me. She made me believe you were using me, that you didn't really care about us."

Katherine's expression shifted, confusion etched on her face. "What do you mean?" she asked, brows knitting together in disbelief.

"Five years ago, I was drunk," I confessed, the memories flooding back. "We had sex, and then Sophie got pregnant with our daughter, Olivia. It was a mistake—one I can never undo. But she made it seem like I was making all the wrong choices, that you were just a phase." My voice wavered as I continued, the weight of my past bearing down on me. "She convinced me that I had to choose her, that I had to put you behind me."

Katherine's gaze flickered, hurt mingling with disbelief. "But we had something real, Oliver. How could you believe her?"

"I thought I was doing the right thing," I admitted, shame flooding through me. "I didn't want to hurt you, and I thought maybe if I tried to make things work with Sophie, I could protect us both. But it didn't work out. We never really had anything And now, seeing you here... I don't know how to make this right."

Katherine's silence hung heavy in the air, and I could see the wheels turning in her mind. "And Olivia?" she finally asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"She's my everything," I replied, emotion choking my throat. "We share custody, but Sophie and I were never truly together. I thought I could make it work, but we can't go back. Not to how things were."

As I looked into her eyes, I realized how much I had lost, and how desperately I wanted to find a way back to her. "I still care about you, Katherine. More than you know. And I can't pretend it's any different."

A flicker of something crossed her face, a mixture of hope and uncertainty. "But what about Sophie? What about your daughter?"

"I'll always take care of Olivia," I said, my heart heavy with the weight of my responsibilities. "But Sophie... she was never the one for me. I thought I cared for her, but it was just a shadow of what I felt for you." I uttered, my gaze dropping to the floor

Katherine's silence felt deafening as she processed my words. "And now? Where do we go from here?"

,I turned back to Katherine, the weight of my confession hanging between us like a fragile thread. "Please, just give me a chance to prove that I can be the man you deserve."

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and I held my breath, waiting for her response.

Her gaze dropped to the floor, her fingers nervously twisting the fabric of her robe. My heart sank as the silence stretched between us, heavy with all the things left unsaid. Finally, she looked up, her eyes filled with a mix of hurt and determination.

"Oliver," she began, her voice steady despite the pain etched across her face. "You've hurt me too much. I can't keep doing this over and over again." Each word felt like a dagger to my heart, but I needed to hear it—needed to understand the depth of the wounds I had caused.

"You shouldn't have kept such a big part of your life from you," she continued, her tone firm. "You're the father of a child, Oliver. That's not something you can just sweep under the rug. I can't just pretend it doesn't matter. It does matter. It always has."

I opened my mouth to respond, to explain how deeply I regretted everything, but she held up a hand, cutting me off. "No, please. Let me finish."

Her expression was fierce, yet vulnerable, and it struck me how much she had to process. "I don't think I can trust you again. Not after everything that's happened. You let me believe one thing while you were living another life. How can I trust you to be honest with me now?"

Every word was like a punch to the gut. I felt the walls closing in around me, the weight of my mistakes pressing down. "Kat, I—"

"I know you're sorry," she interrupted, her voice tinged with frustration. "But sorry doesn't change what happened. It doesn't erase the hurt." She took a deep breath, and for a moment, I saw the flicker of hope in her eyes fade, replaced by the resignation of someone who had fought too hard for too long.

"I loved you, Oliver. I still do, but I can't keep opening myself up to this kind of pain. I deserve better than to be someone's second choice or an afterthought."

Her words stung, resonating with all the insecurities I had buried deep within me. I wanted to reach out, to pull her into my arms and promise her everything would be okay, but I knew I had lost that right long ago.

"I want to be better for you, Kat. I want to show you that I can be the man you need," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I want to fix this. I'll do anything."

She shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "It's not that simple. Trust takes time, and right now, I don't know if I can even begin to trust you again."

The finality in her voice struck me harder than I could have anticipated. I felt like I was standing at the edge of a precipice, watching her slip further away with each passing moment.

"Just give me a chance," I pleaded, desperation creeping into my tone. "I don't want to lose you, not again."

Katherine looked away, as if the weight of my words was too much to bear. "I need time, Oliver. I need space to figure out what I want."

Before I could respond, Andrew re-entered the room, the tension thick enough to slice through. He glanced between us, his expression unreadable. "You good?" he asked Katherine, his protective nature still palpable.

She nodded but didn't meet my gaze. He explained to her that he needed to take care of something and that he would be back later. I felt like I was watching my last chance slip away, and the frustration bubbled within me. I didn't know how to convince her to trust me again or if I even deserved that chance.

"Okay," I finally said, my voice resigned. "I'll give you space. Just know that I'm here whenever you're ready."

My mind was racing, In that moment, I wanted to leave, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I would walking away from the only thing that ever felt real in my life...that was until the next words left her mouth.