Ungullible

Chapter 26: Mending

For a moment, I couldn't breathe.

My mind refused to process what my eyes were seeing, like if I blinked, he would disappear. My chest tightened, emotions crashing into each other so hard it hurt; relief, shock, anger, love, fear all of it tangled together.

"Jason...?" My voice came out broken, barely louder than a whisper.

My eyes burned, tears gathering before I could stop them. I hated that he was seeing me like this; vulnerable, exposed, unravelling when I had spent months trying to stay strong.

"You're here," I said, more to myself than to him. My hands trembled at my sides. "You're actually here."

A laugh slipped out, shaky and breathless, followed by a sob I couldn't hold back anymore. The wall I had built, the one I swore wouldn't fall again, shattered instantly.

"I thought..." I swallowed hard. "I thought something happened to you."

The words spilled out before I could stop them.

"I called. I texted. I waited." Tears rolled freely now, blurring my vision. "I thought I wasn't enough. I thought you got tired of me and just... disappeared."

I pressed a hand to my chest as if it could steady my racing heart. "Do you know how scary it is to love someone and not know where they are? To wake up every day wondering if you'll ever hear their voice again?"

My knees felt weak. I took a small step back, afraid that if I moved closer, I'd break completely.

"I tried to be patient," I whispered. "I tried to pray. I tried to believe you'd come back."

I looked at him then, really looked at him and my voice cracked.

"But you don't get to disappear like that and come back like nothing happened."

The room was silent except for my uneven breathing.

"I missed you," I said softly. "And I hated myself for missing you this much."

Jason's expression changed the moment the tears fell. The confidence he had walked in with crumbled, replaced by something raw and heavy.

"Novia..." he said softly, stepping closer but stopping when he noticed me flinch. His hands fell to his sides like he wasn't sure he deserved to touch me yet.

"I'm so sorry."

His voice was thick, strained. He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply like the words had been trapped inside him for months.

"I never meant to disappear on you. Not for a second." He looked down, jaw tightening. "Things went wrong over there. Worse than I expected. The deal fell apart, my uncle got sick, and everything just... piled up."

He swallowed hard and finally met her eyes.

"I thought I was protecting you by not saying anything until I had answers. I kept telling myself, 'Just one more day, then I'll explain properly.'" A bitter smile touched his lips. "But one day turned into weeks and months."

He took a step closer now, carefully.

"And every time I tried to call, I felt ashamed. Because I knew I'd hurt you. I knew you'd hear it in my voice, that I was drowning and didn't know how to say it without breaking down."

His voice cracked slightly.

"You were never not enough. God, Novia, you were the only thing keeping me sane out there." He pressed a hand to his chest. "I read your messages over and over. I slept with my phone in my hand. I just... didn't know how to face you when I felt like I'd already failed you."