I Moved On, Right?

Old Scars New Promises

VERA'S POV

It had been two days since I last saw Stan, and my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. I kept replaying our argument, his words echoing in my head. "I still love you." I still love him but there's this fear of what if I lose him again, that haunts me. *Phone rings*( still lost in my thoughts). "Veraa pick up your phone it's ringing..." -Pearl said. I picked up the call.
On the call
Tia: heyy how are you?
Vera: hi... I'm good.
Tia: well...actually I called to tell you we are going on a trip. I wanted to ask you when will you be free? so we can go on that day.
Vera: trip??... Ohh nooo I can't come..
Tia: come on dude... everyone is coming it'll be fun.
Vera: noo... I can't please....I don't want to.
Tia: I'm not asking you.... I'm telling you, you are coming that's final. Check your schedule and text me when you'll be free...bye

*Phone hangs up*

"What's wrong? Who was on the call? What were they saying?" - Pearl asked.
"It was Tia, she invited me on a trip.... I'm not in the mood to go." - I replied. "Whyyy??? You should go...if you stay here you'll overthink....just go with her relax yourself and take your decision.... have fun." -Pearl suggested.
"She said everyone will be coming...what if Stan also" -I claimed. "Okay now no more ifs and buts grab your phone call Tia ask her about Stan and tell her you are coming. That's it. If you won't I'll text her." -Pearl stated.

After some time
"I called Tia and asked her about Stan she said he's not coming. And I agreed on going, we'll be leaving after two days." -I told Pearl. "Great!! That's my gurl....pack your bags... click many pictures of yourself and enjoy. If something bothers you call me." -Pearl said.

The day of the trip

The day arrived, and I left in the car with Tia, while heading toward the villa I told Tia about Stan. Tia filled the drive with lighthearted conversation, helping me relax. But as we pulled up to the villa and I spotted Stan among the group, my smile faded slightly. I took a deep breath, reminding myself to stay calm. "You said he's not coming, so why is he here?" -I asked Tia.

Tia looked a bit guilty but managed a small, apologetic smile. "I know, and I'm sorry for not telling you, Vera. But hear me out-I just thought that maybe, if you two had a chance to talk in a calm setting, without all the tension, things might be different. And besides, you'll have friends around, so you don't have to be alone with him if you don't want to."

I sighed, glancing over at Stan, who had just noticed us and looked equally surprised-and nervous. He gave me a small wave, but I looked away, unsure of how to feel.

"Look, Vera," Tia continued gently, "you don't have to talk to him. If it's too much, just enjoy the day with us. But maybe, just maybe, this trip could be a fresh start... whatever that looks like for you."

Reluctantly, I nodded. "Fine. But no promises."

As the day went on, I tried to focus on the activities with everyone else-games, swimming, and exploring the villa. I avoided Stan, sticking close to Tia and our friends, laughing and taking photos, and letting the lively atmosphere keep my mind off him.
At evening Pearl called me I told her about Stan also being here, she said- "Take all the time you need, Vera. Just remember that sometimes, closure isn't about pushing someone away but understanding what went wrong." with that she hang up.

But later that evening, as the group settled around a bonfire, I sat there, wrestling with my emotions, replaying every memory, every regret, every "what if" in my mind. The truth was, Pearl was right-no one knew me like Stan did. Despite the hurt, the thought of him wasn't just painful; it felt familiar, like the pages of an old diary I couldn't throw away. Stan took a seat nearby, looking at me from across the flames. I couldn't avoid him anymore, not without making things obvious. Eventually, he got up, quietly walked over, and asked, "Please can we talk for a minute?"

I looked around, realizing most of the group was busy chatting or laughing, and gave a small nod. He led me a bit away from the bonfire, where the light was softer, and the night air felt cooler.

"Vera, I know you're probably upset that I'm here," he began, his voice steady but a little nervous. "But I wanted to say this in person... I'm really sorry. For everything. I didn't mean to hurt you the way I did."

I crossed my arms, her face unreadable. "Stan, I don't know what to say. It's hard to believe anything after everything that happened. Why now? Why after all this time?"

Stan took a deep breath, his eyes searching mine with an intensity I hadn't seen before. "Because losing you was the biggest wake-up call of my life, Vera. I tried moving on, telling myself I'd be fine, but I wasn't. Nothing was the same without you. I had to face the fact that I messed up, and it took me a while to work on myself. I still love you Vera."

His words hung in the air, the sincerity in his voice touching something deep inside me. I could feel my walls beginning to crack, but I wasn't ready to let them fall just yet.

"People say all sorts of things when they're trying to get back what they lost," I replied quietly, looking away. "How do I know this isn't just... regret talking? Or some kind of guilt?"

Stan took a step closer, his voice filled with emotion. "I understand why you'd think that. But I've changed, Vera. I'm not the same person who hurt you. I've taken time to understand my mistakes, and I'm here because I want to do better, to be the kind of person you deserve. I know I have to earn your trust again... if you'll let me."

I stayed silent, feeling the weight of his words. A part of me wanted to push him away, to protect myself from the pain of another heartbreak. But another part-a part I'd tried to ignore-wanted to believe him, to give him a chance.

After a long pause, I finally spoke, my voice soft. "Stan..." I whispered, looking down at my hands. "I won't lie; there's still a part of me that's angry. But I know even if I was hurt, I had been waited for this moment forever. I still love you too Stan... I'll give us a chance to start over, but I have changed too... I overthink a lot, I ask the same question a hundred times, sometimes I can be really irritating, I need a lot of reassurance, I have trust issues."

Stan's face broke into a relieved smile, his eyes shining. "That's more than I could have hoped for, Vera. No matter what I'm not leaving you now, I'll answer you a hundred times, I'll handle you, your mood swings. I'll never do anything that'll hurt you. I promise I won't mess this up."

Stan locked his hands with mine, as we approached the bonfire, their clasped hands didn’t go unnoticed. Tia was the first to spot them, her eyes widening in mock surprise. “Ohhh, look who decided to make up! Stan and Vera, holding hands like it’s prom night,” she teased, loud enough for everyone to hear.

The rest of the group quickly caught on, laughter and playful remarks filling the air. “Wait, is this the Vera and Stan love story we’ve been waiting for?” one of the guys joked, grinning.

“Careful, you two might start a fire of your own,” another chimed in, pointing at the flames with a wink.

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide my flushed cheeks. “Alright, calm down, everyone. It’s not what it looks like,” -I said, though my tone lacked conviction.

“Oh, please,” Tia smirked. “We’re not blind, Vera. Just admit it already!”

Stan, however, was unbothered by the teasing. He tightened his grip on my hand and gave me a small, reassuring smile before turning to the group. “Okay, fine. I’ll admit it—I’m not letting her go this time.”

The group erupted into cheers and applause, some throwing exaggerated heart gestures in their direction. “About time!” someone called out.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the playfulness of it all. For the first time in days, I felt a sense of lightness, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It wouldn't be easy, and I knew there were still challenges ahead, but for the first time in a long time, I felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, we could rebuild something new from the pieces of what we once had.

______________________________________

I hope y'all find this story interesting. I'll try to post the next parts quickly. Love you