Chapter Twenty-One #3
“God, Indi, is that what this has been about all these years? Is that why you left?”
She nods slowly against my chest.
“I thought I couldn’t trust you. That, mixed with the fear of us losing ourselves in each other and then something terrible happening, was too much for me. I had to leave.”
I take her face in my hands and gently force her to look at me.
“Indi, I would never cheat on you. I would never break your heart. If you let me in, I’ll take care of you and treat you the way I should have been treating you for the past six years.
I know you don’t want anything fast, and I know you’re scared of us falling so hard we can’t escape it, but I.
Love. You.” My thumbs brush away her tears.
“I’m not asking you to marry me, although if I thought you’d say yes, I probably would.
I’m asking you to give us a chance. We deserve to be happy, and being together makes us happy.
Don’t focus on the what-ifs, baby. They won’t happen.
If I’m with you, I’m with you forever. I’ll never leave you… I promise.”
She sniffs as more tears trickle down her cheeks, her eyes darting back and forth like she’s fighting with herself.
I know she wants this.
I know she wants me.
But she’s terrified, and I hate her parents for leaving her with this fear. I hate Maddie for becoming part of the reason Indi ran. I hate that all I can do now is wait while she decides whether to trust me. And every passing second feels like she’s going to say no.
Then she brings her hand up to cover mine, where it rests against her cheek, and nuzzles into my palm. “I can’t promise I won’t freak out again,” she whispers.
A smile spreads across my face before I can stop it. “I can live with that.”
“And I can’t promise that even if we go slowly, as you say, your version of slow and mine will be the same.”
“We can take it as slow as you need, baby. Just tell me we can try. That’s all I’m asking for, Indi. The chance we should’ve had six years ago.” I lean closer. “We belong together, my sweet Indi. You know that.”
Her bottom lip trembles. “I swear to God, Caleb, if you cheat on me—”
“That will never happen.”
“Or if you hurt me—”
“Not going to happen either. I love you, Indi. I always have. Nothing is going to make me fuck this up. I won’t lose you again.
” A slow smile spreads across her face, and mine follows instantly.
“You should have talked to me instead of leaving six years ago,” I say gently. “We could’ve avoided all this chaos.”
“I know.” She swallows hard. “I’m sorry.
I saw you with Maddie, and all my trust went out the window.
I was already broken, Caleb. I only had one piece of my heart left that was holding on, and seeing you with her shattered it.
I wish I’d stayed. I wish I’d known nothing had happened.
I wish so many things had been different, but we can’t take it back now.
All we can do is make up for the last six years. ”
I smile brightly. “Then we’ve got a lot of time to catch up on.”
“So we’re doing this?” she asks softly. “But very slowly?”
I nod and rest my forehead against hers. “As slowly or as quickly as you need. I’m in this, Indi. I just need to know you’re in it with me. I know you’re still worried about us turning out like your parents, but we won’t let that happen. Okay?”
She nods, biting her bottom lip as her gaze drops to my mouth.
“I’m in this, Caleb. After hanging up on you today, I couldn’t pull myself out of the despair I was feeling.
I wanted to be with you so badly, but my trust issues kept making me question everything.
I couldn’t trust you, but knowing nothing happened with Maddie changes everything.
” Her eyes lift to mine. “I trust you, Caleb. I can see in your eyes that you love me the same way I love you, and being with you has always felt right. It feels right now. I just feel stupid that we could’ve avoided all this heartache if we’d talked to each other sooner. ”
“Say it again.”
She furrows her brows. “Which bit?”
“That you love me.”
Her smile softens as she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me closer, leaving only inches between us. “Caleb, I love you. I always have.”
I bite my bottom lip hard to stop myself from breaking down like a fucking baby. I don’t want to seem weak right now, so I slide my hand to the back of her head and pull her closer until her lips barely brush mine.
“I love you, Indi.” Then I finally crash my mouth to hers.
She opens for me instantly, and I slide my tongue against hers as she moves onto my lap, straddling me and pinning me to the couch. One hand slips beneath her pajama top and up her back while the other threads through her hair, holding her close.
Kissing her, knowing she loves me the way I love her, fills me with so much joy. Every inch of me tingles as Indi makes out with me in her living room, and for the first time in six years, everything feels right again.
Tonight is the start of something absolutely earth-shattering.
The beginning of Caleb and Indi…