REWOVEN HEARTS

Chapter twenty one: The space between

The days that followed their lunch meeting felt strangely heavier for Nina. She found herself caught between the desire to keep her distance from Damien and the undeniable pull he still had on her. She thought that time and space would ease the feelings, but they only seemed to grow stronger. Every time she passed his office or caught a glimpse of him in the hallway, the air seemed charged with a tension she couldn't escape.

Nina threw herself in her work, focusing on the project she had been assigned, hopping that immersing herself in her responsibilities would quiet the confusion in her heart. But no matter how many reports she poured over or deadlines she met, her thought kept drifting back to Damien.

She had meant what she said at lunch-she needed time. She wasn't ready to open herself up to him again, not after everything that had happened. But the fact that Damien had changed, that he was willing to fight for them, made it harder to maintain her walls.

One evening, she was leaving the office later than usual, she caught sight of Damien in the lobby, standing near the elevator, his gaze fixed on something distant. There was an air of exhaustion about him-like someone who had been carrying a burden for far too long.

For a moment, Nina considered turning around and heading back to her office, not wanting to deal with the complication of seeing him again. But before she could make up her mind, Damien looked up at caught her eyes.

"Nina," he said, his voice soft, but there was a flicker of hope in his expression.

She hesitated, her heart beating faster. "Damien," she said keeping her tone cool.

"I didn't expect to see you still here," he said, offering a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I was thinking... maybe we could grab a coffee?"

Nina's first instinct was to decline, to keep things strictly professional. But she remember their last conversation-the way he had opened up to her, how vulnerable he had been. She wasn't ready to let go of the connection they had, no matter how hard she was trying to convince herself it was a passing phase.

She sighed, "Alright. Just a quick one," she agreed, though her heart was already heavy with the weight of what this could mean.

They walked together to the nearby café, the silence between them initially awkward, but with each step, the tension tend to ease. Once seated at the quiet corner booth with their coffee cups in hand, Nina finally broke the silence.

"Damien, I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can pick up where we left off."

Damien looked at her, his expression earnest. I'm not asking you to pick up where we left off, Nina, I'm asking you to start fresh. To give a chance to create something new. Something different."

Nina stared at him, torn between the remnants of her old feelings for him and fear of repeating the same mistakes. "What if we can't change? What if we're the same people who broke up the first time?"

Damien shook his head slowly. "We've both changed. We've grown. I'm not saying that it'll be easy, but I know that am willing to try. I know that I want to try... with you."

Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, Nina could see the sincerity in his eyes. The walls around her heart softened, but the scars from her past still lingered, a remined of why she walked away in the first place.

"I don't know, Damien. I scared. I 'm scared of getting hurt again."

He leaned forward, his gaze unwavering. "I understand. I hurt you before and I can't change that. But what I can do is show you that I'm not the same person anymore. I can't promise I won't make mistakes, but I promise I won't make the same ones."

Nina looked down at her coffee, the steam rising in a gentle swirl. "It's not just about you, Damien. It's about me, too. I've spent so long rebuilding myself. I don't know if I can let you back in. It's easier to stay distant. To keep everything the way it is now."

"I know that you are afraid, but sometimes, it's the things that we're afraid of that are worth the most. I'm not just asking for a chance. A chance for us to figure it out, together."

The room felt quiet around them, as if the world had faded out and there was only the two of them in this small corner of the café. Nina felt the weight of his words, And the vulnerability in his voice made something in her stir.

But much as she wanted to believe him, as much as she wanted to reach out and let herself fall into the safety of his arms, she couldn't shake the fear that had been holding her back all along.

"I need more time," she said finally, her voice firm but apologetic. "I'm not ready to take that step. I can't rush this. I need to do it on my terms."

Damien's face softened, as he nodded. "I'm not going anywhere, Nina. Take all the time you need. Just know that I'll be here when you are ready."

Nina couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. She knew he was being patient, and maybe it was the right thing to do. But a part of her was afraid that by the time she was ready, it would be too late.

As they finished the coffee in quiet contemplation, the unspoken understanding between them lingered in the air. Neither one of them knew what the future held, but for now, they had taken a small step toward rebuilding something that had once seemed impossible.