A week passed. Seven days of trying to go back to normal, of convincing yourself that running into Nicholas hadn't stirred up everything you thought you'd buried. But no matter how much you tried to focus on work, friends, or the quiet solitude of your evenings, his words lingered in your mind.
"I never stopped loving you."
Every time you closed your eyes, you saw his face—the way his voice cracked when he said he regretted leaving, the sorrow in his eyes when you walked away. You hated that it affected you. Hated that some small, treacherous part of you still wanted to believe him.
It was late Friday night when your phone buzzed again.
Nick: I know I said I'd leave you alone, but I need to say one last thing. Please meet me. Tomorrow. Same place. If you don't, I'll understand.
You stared at the message for a long time, your heart waging war against your head. Part of you wanted to ignore it, to move on like you'd promised yourself you would. But another part—curious, stubborn, hopeful—knew you wouldn't sleep until you heard him out.
____________________________________
The park was quieter than it had been last time, the early morning sun casting soft golden hues across the grass. You spotted Nicholas sitting on the same bench as before, his head bowed, his hands clasped tightly together. He looked like a man waiting for judgment.
When he saw you approaching, he stood quickly, his eyes widening in surprise. "You came."
You shoved your hands into your coat pockets, keeping your distance. "This better be good, Nick."
He nodded, looking nervous but determined. "I know you don't owe me anything. Not after what I did. But I've spent every day of the last week replaying what I should've said to you. And I realized... I didn't leave because I didn't love you. I left because I loved you too much to ask you to give up your life for me."
You blinked, caught off guard. "What are you talking about?"
He stepped closer, his voice low and earnest. "You had your family here, your career, everything you worked so hard for. I couldn't ask you to drop it all and come with me. And when you said you wouldn't go... I thought I was doing the right thing by walking away. I thought I was protecting you."
"Protecting me?" you repeated, your tone incredulous. "You think leaving me alone to pick up the pieces of my life was protecting me?"
He winced but didn't back down. "I thought it would be easier for you to move on if I wasn't around. I thought it would hurt less."
"Well, you were wrong," you snapped, your voice rising. "You didn't protect me, Nick. You broke me. And then you didn't even have the decency to come back and check if I was okay."
"I know," he said, his voice cracking. "I know I failed you. And I'll never forgive myself for that."
The raw honesty in his words made you pause, your anger faltering. You looked away, trying to steady the whirlwind of emotions threatening to overwhelm you.
"Why now?" you asked finally, your voice softer. "Why come back after all this time?"
He took a deep breath, his eyes locked on yours. "Because I realized something. I've spent years chasing my dreams, and I've achieved so much. But none of it feels like enough. None of it matters if you're not there to share it with me."
Your breath hitched, and you felt your resolve start to crack.
"Victoria?" you asked, needing to change the subject, to pull the focus away from the ache in your chest.
"She was... a distraction," he admitted, guilt flashing in his eyes. "She's a good person, but she wasn't you. No one is."
You shook your head, tears pricking your eyes. "Nick, you can't just say things like that and expect everything to go back to the way it was."
"I'm not asking for that," he said quickly. "I know I can't undo the past. I know I might never earn your forgiveness. But I had to try. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't tell you how I feel."
Silence settled between you, heavy and uncertain.
"Do you really think it's that simple?" you asked quietly. "That after everything, we can just pick up where we left off?"
"No," he said firmly. "I know it's not simple. I know it's going to take time, and work, and a hell of a lot of patience. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes if it means I have a chance at being in your life again."
His words hung in the air, raw and vulnerable. And for the first time in years, you saw the Nicholas you'd fallen in love with—the boy who dreamed big, who loved deeply, who made you believe in forever.
But forever wasn't a promise. It was a choice.
"I don't know if I can trust you," you said honestly, your voice trembling. "I don't know if I can let myself believe in you again."
He nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. "I don't expect you to. Not yet. But I'm asking you to let me prove that I've changed. That I'm not the same guy who walked away."
You hesitated, your heart and mind at war. Trust wasn't something that could be rebuilt overnight. But as you looked at him—really looked at him—you saw sincerity in his eyes. A spark of hope you hadn't felt in years.
"Okay," you said finally. "But if you screw this up, Nick, there's no coming back."
Relief flooded his face, and he nodded quickly. "I won't. I promise."
As he smiled, that boyish grin you hadn't seen in so long, you felt something shift. Maybe it wasn't forgiveness. Maybe it wasn't love. But it was a start.
And for now, that was enough.
