Chapter 9: Between Past and Present

Evelyn stood frozen in the doorway, Alexander's words lingering in the air between them. The city lights behind him cast a soft glow around his figure, making him look both familiar and yet distant, like a memory she wasn't sure she wanted to relive.

She had spent years convincing herself that she had moved on, that she had buried the past deep enough that it could never resurface. But now, standing face to face with him again, the walls she had built felt flimsy, ready to collapse at the slightest push.

"You can't just show up like this," she finally whispered, gripping the doorframe to steady herself. "You said you'd wait."

Alexander let out a heavy breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know. And I meant it. But waiting in silence isn't enough. I needed to see you, Evelyn. I needed to know if there was still anything left between us."

Evelyn's chest tightened. There was too much between them—years of misunderstandings, heartbreak, and regret. And yet, underneath all of that, there was something else. Something she wasn't ready to name.

She glanced down at the floor, her mind spinning. "I don't know if I can do this, Alex."

His expression softened. "Then don't decide right now. Just… let me be here. Let's start with that."

She hesitated. Letting him in, even just for a conversation, felt like opening a door she might never be able to close again. But against her better judgment, she stepped aside, allowing him to enter.

Alexander took in the familiar surroundings of Evelyn's apartment—the neat shelves lined with books, the soft throw blanket draped over the couch, the faint scent of lavender lingering in the air. It hadn't changed much, and yet it felt like an entirely different world from the one he had once belonged to.

Evelyn moved to the kitchen, busying herself with making tea, avoiding his gaze. "So… what now? You tell me more things I never knew? More confessions?" Her voice was edged with bitterness, but it wasn't as sharp as before.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know I have no right to ask you to trust me again. But I want to tell you everything. No more secrets. No more misunderstandings."

She turned to face him, arms crossed. "Then start from the beginning. Why didn't you tell me the truth back then? Why let me believe the worst for so long?"

He met her gaze, regret flickering in his eyes. "Because I thought I was protecting you. You were about to leave for your dream job in another country. I didn't want to be the reason you stayed behind, tied to a relationship that had already become complicated. And I… I was afraid. Afraid that if I fought for you, I'd still lose you. So I let you go, thinking it was the best thing for both of us."

Evelyn's breath hitched. "You thought you were protecting me by letting me hate you?"

"It was a mistake," he admitted, voice thick with emotion. "The biggest one I've ever made."

She clenched her jaw, trying to hold back the emotions threatening to spill over. "And what now, Alex? What do you want from me?"

He took a step closer, his voice quiet but firm. "A chance. Not to erase the past, but to build something new."

She let out a shaky breath, her heart warring with her mind. Could she really open that door again? Could she risk it?

The night stretched on as they talked—about the past, about the pain, about everything they had left unsaid. By the time exhaustion settled in, Evelyn realized something she hadn't expected.

For the first time in years, she wasn't carrying the weight of unanswered questions alone.

As she walked Alexander to the door, he paused, hesitating for just a moment. "I meant what I said. I'll wait. But I won't disappear this time."

She met his gaze, and though she still wasn't sure of her answer, she nodded. "Goodnight, Alex."

"Goodnight, Evelyn."

As the door clicked shut behind him, she leaned against it, exhaling deeply.

This wasn't the end of their story.

It was just the beginning of something new.