An Accidental I Love You

Four

My knees began to feel weak being in his presence, almost as if I was about to pass out from being this close to him. Even with plenty of room around us, standing here with him feels like I'm stuck, unable to escape.

or maybe I don't want to.

It went silence once I said his name, our eyes stayed glued on each other for what essentially felt like an eternity.

"I told you, we need to talk," he said, his words airy as he spoke them, almost scared someone could hear them.

I let out a small chuckle at his desperation, "I told you there's-" I began to speak but his hand went over my lips, cutting me off. He used his other hand to gently close the locker room door behind me, causing me to let out a small gasp at the sudden motion.

"Just- listen." He whispered, I remained silent, waiting for him to speak again as he moved his hand slowly from my lips, "I just want to tell you I'm sorry-"

"After three years? It's too late to say sorry, Jullian. You can't say you're sorry and expect me to accept it," I say as I avert my eyes from him, looking at the ground.

"Look, you don't understand what happened-"

"You're right Jullian, I don't. I don't understand how after over almost 15 years of being best friends you just decided to leave and treat me like I was less than the dirt under your shoes. If you said sorry 3 years ago I probably would've forgiven you, but now?" I pause, taking a deep breath and placing my hand on the doorknob, "I want nothing to do with you."

"But I thought... you still love me," he said quietly, we both go silent for a second, tears starting to brim my eyes.

"I did Jullian... I really did. But you changed, you left, you hurt me for your own good. That message was an accident, you should know damn well it was one too," I said as I watched the hurt fill his eyes, looking vulnerable as ever.

"Norie please-"

"Never call me that again," I said, holding back the sob resting in the back of my throat, "I should go," I mumble, walking out the door, leaving him in his broken state, alone just as he'd left me.

・three years old・

"Mommy I want to meet the new neighbors!" Little Eleanor yelled to her mom, her face filled with excitement to meet the new boy next door. She was so happy to have another new friend alongside Anthony, the boy down the road.

"Okay, Eleanor. Do you want to hand them their home welcoming cookies?" Her mom asked and smiled at her daughter's excitement. Eleanor nodded frantically, reaching for the container on the kitchen counter as her mom went to hand them to her.

"Yes! I promise I won't eat them this time," she smiled, her dimples on full display, her mother chuckling at her daughters excitement as they exited the door, walking to the next house over.

Little Eleanor rang the doorbell, hearing a little boy's voice on the other side alongside another female. The door opened to show little Jullian with his mother, both smiling at the appearance of their guest. They invited them in, the adults going to the living room and the children into Julian's room, with the cookies... duh.

"What's your name?" Little Jullian asked, nibbling on a chocolate cookie from the container, them being his favorite.

"I'm Eleanor. My mommy, daddy, and Andy call my Elle, you can too," she said with a full smile, her tongue peeking through the gap where she had lost her teeth the day before.