Inside Your Heaven

Chapter 23: Unapologize

Previously: As if on cue, Kate heard a knock on her door. Her heart flipped over in her chest as she reached the door and pulled it open. Ready to finally climb the wall surrounding her heart.

"I meant every word. Won't take back the way I feel about you. I can't unsay what you heard, 'cause you heard me right, and I won't try to fight them back or hide my feelings for you. I unapologize. 'Cause you heard me right, yeah." ~Carrie Underwood

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Kate's heart sank when she saw who was standing on the other side of the door. She obviously didn't hide her disappointment well. "Something wrong, Miss Beckett?"

Kate sighed, "Hi, Pattie. No, nothing's wrong. I was just expecting someone else, that's all."

"Still hanging in there?" Pattie asked, referring to the incident the night before.

"Yeah," Kate nodded. "I'm doing better, though, thank you," she paused, not in the mood for small talk. "What can I do for you?"

"There's man in my lobby asking if you were staying here. I excused myself to come and talk with you to see if you knew anything about this?"

Her heart rate increased. Could it be him? "Did he say what his name was?" she asked frantically.

Pattie just shook her head. "No, sweetie. Just said that he was looking for a Kate Beckett."

"Can you describe him?"

Pattie was hesitant, "Um, medium height. Medium build. Dark hair..."

Kate was lost in thought, frozen to her spot on the opposite side of the door. "Kate, is this the man that broke your heart?" Pattie asked tenderly.

"It could be, I guess. But, the thing is, Pattie, he didn't break my heart. I broke his..." she choked back the knot in her throat. "I was the one who left. I was just scared. But I knew that I couldn't be without him. That's why I didn't go back to the city. I'd made up my mind that I wanted to be with him, that I was ready to move forward, and then there was a knock on my door. I thought it was him. I was ready to take it on full force, but... but then it was you and now I've lost my nerve."

"Well, Kate," Pattie started, "there are two things I could do here. I could be the business person and send him away, keeping my customer happy, if you're still unsure. Or I could be your friend and tell you what I think you already know."

Kate snapped her head up. What I already know? What does that mean? "Don't tell... I can't..."

"Okay, I'll go tell him."

Pattie walked away, down the sidewalk back to the main office. Kate stood at her open door, hands on her hips, and shoulders hunched. She tasted blood from the gnawing she was doing on her bottom lip. She ran a single hand through her brown curls and turned away.

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Pattie approached the man, "I'm sorry for the disturbance, sir. I got a call and needed to take care of it."

He nodded in understanding, "So, is she here?"

She took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, sir. I can't help you."

The man deflated. "Please," he begged, "can you please just tell me if she's here? I just need to talk to her."

"Even if she were here, I wouldn't be at the liberty to say," Pattie retorted.

Right then, Kate snuck into the lobby behind the two. She caught Pattie's eye, but told her to stay quiet with a signal of her finger to her lips. She needed to see for herself, needed to see if it was actually him.