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“Cole… it’s not that I don’t appreciate what you’re trying to do. It’s just… I’ve spent so long trying to prove to myself that I can stand on my own two feet. That I don’t need someone else to fight my battles for me,” she said.
“I know,” I said, stepping closer. “And I don’t want to take that from you. But I also can’t sit back and do nothing when I know Marcus is still out there, still trying to manipulate you.”
Her gaze dropped to the floor, and for a moment, the silence was deafening.
“I’m scared, Cole,” she admitted finally, her voice barely audible. “I’m scared of letting someone in again. Of losing myself in the process.”
I reached out, hesitating for a moment before gently taking her hand.
“You won’t lose yourself with me, Tori. I don’t want to change who you are or take anything from you. I just want to be here for you. To stand beside you, not in front of you,” I told her.
Her eyes met mine, and I saw the vulnerability there, the fear she was trying so hard to hide.
“I’m scared too,” I confessed, my voice raw. “I’m scared of losing you. Of not being enough to protect you. But I know I can’t force you to trust me. All I can do is be here, however you need me to be.”
Tori let out a shaky laugh, wiping at her eyes.
“You always know exactly what to say, don’t you?” Tori asked.
“Not always,” I said with a small smile. “I’m just trying to be honest.”
She looked at me for a long moment, as if trying to decide something. Then she gave a small nod.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s try this again.”
“Try what again?”
“Us,” she said simply. “I don’t want to push you away, Cole. I’m just… trying to figure out how to let you in without losing myself in the process.”
I felt a weight lift off my chest, and I squeezed her hand gently.
“We’ll figure it out together. No rush, no pressure. Just… one step at a time,” I said.
She smiled then, a real, genuine smile, and it was like the sun breaking through the clouds.
“Stay?” she asked softly, her eyes searching mine.
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “I’d like that.”
We spent the rest of the evening talking, the tension slowly giving way to something softer, more hopeful.
She opened up about her fears, about the scars Marcus had left behind.
And I shared my own—my fear of not being enough, of losing her before we’d even had a chance to really begin.
By the time we moved to the couch, the barriers between us felt smaller, less daunting.
She curled up beside me, her head resting on my shoulder, and I wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.
For the first time in what felt like days, I felt a flicker of hope.
We still had a long way to go, but in that moment, I knew we’d find our way.
TORI
The morning lightfiltered through the curtains, casting a soft golden glow across the room.
For the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe. I blinked, my gaze landing on Cole beside me.