Let Me Love You | Toni Kroos

Chapter 38 - Remember When

Toni's POV

There was a hunched figure leaning against the wall down the hallway from my hotel room. I was heading downstairs for the banquet – although right then, I wasn't even sure what we were celebrating anymore – and the figure looked up at me as I passed. It was Gabi.

"Hey," she whispered. "I wasn't sure which room you were in."

I forced a smile. "I have to go downstairs. For the...uh...dinner."

"I know," she smiled back, a sad smile which sent bad vibes through my every nerve. "I just wanted to say...I don't even know what to say."

"Hey," I said as she looked down to try and hide the tears falling down her face. "Hey, Gabi, don't cry. I'm sorry, Gabi. I'm so sorry."

She wept into her hands as I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around her. I'd disappointed her again. I'd disappointed her so many times, but this was the ultimate disappointment. The lost final, the highly-coveted piece of history, the rare opportunity lost, and the fear of never getting to try it again.

"Toni, I –" she choked.

"Shhhh," I rubbed her back gently while trying to hold my own tears in. "Shhh, please don't cry. Please, Gabi. I'm so sorry."

"Please don't be sorry," she whispered. "It's not your fault."

"Come on, go back to your room, okay?" I took her hand and led her to the lifts. She pressed the button for the ninth floor.

"Can I..." she hesitated, and then looked at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. "Um...can I see you later?"

"Of course," I whispered. I couldn't speak any more if I didn't want my voice to give me away.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered.

"Gabi..." I started, before a lump in my throat stopped me.

She looked up at me in concern while wiping her tears hastily. "Don't cry," she choked out a laugh.

"Look who's talking," I chuckled.

She reached out and gently wiped my tears before they could fall. "Be strong," she whispered.

I nodded and forced another smile, although right then all I wanted to do was to fall to the floor outside Gabi's room in a heap and stay there until I was ready to face the world again. But I was running late for the banquet, so I just wrapped my arms tightly around her instead.

"Everything will be fine, okay Gabi?" I whispered into her hair. I had to stay strong for her. And for everybody else. "Please don't cry. I'll be back here later. Wait for me if you can't sleep."

"Okay," she whispered back. "I'll wait for you."

She stuck her hands in her pocket and watched as I walked back to the lifts. I turned around to take one last look at her, and she lifted one shaking hand to wave at me. "Bye," she mouthed.

Gabi's POV

"Are you done?" Louise demanded, jabbing her finger at the digital clock on our shared bedside table. "The report is supposed to be up at most thirty minutes after the celebrations. I already gave you an extra twenty minutes. Please tell me you're done, Gabi."

"Okay, okay," I whispered. "I'm done. I just sent it to you."

She heaved a sigh and came over to sit beside me. "I'm sorry for yelling," she said. "It's just...you didn't just come here to watch the match, you know? We gave you this responsibility for a reason. Because we thought you could do it. And we hoped you wouldn't let us down. There are still others in the nearby rooms – if you couldn't do the report, you could have asked them. I don't want to see this happening again, okay?"