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My phone sat on the counter, mocking me with its silence.
She hadn’t messaged again, hadn’t given me any reassurance that she was okay. And it was driving me insane.
The fear clawed at me—fear that I’d pushed too far, that I’d become the very thing she was trying to escape.
The last thing I wanted was to remind her of Marcus, to make her feel trapped.
But wasn’t that exactly what I’d done by installing the security system without asking her?
I thought I was protecting her. Maybe I was. But at what cost?
The thought made me pause mid-step. Tori wasn’t Marcus’s victim anymore.
She was strong, fiercely independent, and I respected that about her. Loved that about her.
But I’d let my own fear—my own desperation to keep her safe—cloud my judgment.
I grabbed my keys before I could second-guess myself.
The drive to Oakridge felt longer than it was, the quiet hum of the car doing nothing to drown out my thoughts.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to say when I got there, only that I had to see her. I had to make things right.
Her apartment building came into view, and I parked across the street, taking a deep breath before stepping out.
The cool night air hit me, but it did little to calm my nerves. I hesitated for a moment, staring up at the window I knew was hers.
She might not even open the door, but I had to try.
I knocked lightly, the sound echoing in the stillness of the hallway. For a moment, there was nothing. No sound, no movement.
Then I heard the faint shuffle of footsteps on the other side, and the door cracked open.
Tori’s face appeared, her expression guarded. She was wearing an oversized sweatshirt, her hair pulled back into a messy bun.
She looked tired, her eyes slightly red, as if she’d been crying.
“Cole,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you,” I admitted, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “I couldn’t just sit there, wondering if you were okay.”
She hesitated, her fingers gripping the edge of the door.
For a moment, I thought she might tell me to leave. But then she stepped back, opening the door wider.
“Come in,” she said softly.
Her apartment was warm and cozy, a stark contrast to the tension hanging between us.
She gestured for me to sit, but I stayed standing, unable to shake the restless energy coursing through me.
“Tori,” I started, meeting her eyes. “I know I messed up. I shouldn’t have gone behind your back with the security system. I thought I was helping, but I realize now that I was crossing a line.”
She folded her arms across her chest, her expression unreadable.
“I just… I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you,” I continued, my voice thick with emotion. “But if you need me to back off, to give you space, I will. I’ll do whatever you need.”
Her eyes softened, and she let out a shaky breath.