Ch. 12: Between Doubt and Desire
774 Words
Silence followed.
Claire lowered her phone slowly.
Then looked up—At Alex.
Standing right in front of her.
Still watching her carefully.
Still… nervous.
For a moment..
Something stirred inside her.
A sudden urge—to step forward, to hug him, to close the distance completely.
She almost laughed.
Seeing him...
Usually calm and composed.
Now slightly uneasy..
"You’re overthinking.”
Claire finally spoke.
Her lips curved into a faint smile.
“Let’s go.”
She walked past him casually, towards the stairs.
Then glanced back slightly.
“Why do you look so nervous?”
A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
Alex didn’t answer immediately.
He simply watched her back..
As she walked ahead of him.
His gaze, Deep, Unsteady.
Alex knew...
He was feeling insecure.
But who could he blame?
Just a few days ago, the girl he loved…
Was still with someone else.
And he...was drowning himself in alcohol.
Regretting every decision he made.
Watching from afar....
As she was about to become someone else’s wife.
Then,
That dream.
That unbearable dream,
Where he lost her completely.
It pushed him.
Forced him to come back earlier than planned.
And now,
In just one day...
Everything had changed.
They were together.
Officially.
He should feel happy.
And he did.
But beneath that happiness—was something else.
Fear.
A lot of what if's...
What if…
She only accepted him on impulse?
What if...
The next moment,
She changed her mind?
His jaw tightened slightly.
He didn’t even know, If what he was doing now—was right.
Drake’s words earlier that morning, still echoed in his mind.
He hadn’t told Claire.
Not everything.
Not about the conversation they had.
“Claire will come back to me.”Drake had said it with confidence.
“Just like before. She still loves me. This is just a phase. A tantrum.”
Alex’s fingers curled slightly.
Because a part of him...
Hated how those words made sense.
Who moves on in just a day?
Even he knew, It sounded impossible.
Outwardly...
He remained calm, and confident.
But inside—he was restless and uneasy.
What if she left again?
What if he lost her.
Right after finally having her?
“…What would I even do?”
He didn’t have an answer.
Because he knew—
He could never force her.
Could never hurt her.
Even if it meant..he would be the one left behind again.
Then, his thoughts stopped.
Because Claire was standing there.
Beside his car.
Looking at him...smiling.
And suddenly—Everything else didn’t matter.
“…This is enough.”
He didn’t know why...but in that moment, he felt content.
Even if it was temporary.
Even if it only lasted a few days...
He would accept it.
He walked towards her—opened the passenger door.
“Get in.”
Claire didn’t move immediately.
Instead, she stepped closer.
Then, wrapped her arms around his neck.
Before he could react...she kissed him.
Alex froze, for a split second.
Then, he responded.
The kiss deepened, and unrestrained.
Everything he had been holding back, surfaced all at once.
Her warmth.
Her closeness.
It blurred his thoughts, for a moment.
There was nothing else...just her.
But reality caught up.
They were still outside.
Still exposed.
Slowly—Reluctantly—
They pulled apart.
Breathing uneven and eyes still locked.
“…Let’s go.”
His voice was lower now.
Claire nodded slightly, then got into the car.
Later, they drove to her favorite restaurant.
A quiet dinner.
Simple..
But comfortable.
Like something they had always done.
After that—they stopped by a convenience store.
Buying snacks, drinks. and anything that caught Claire’s eye.
“Movie marathon?” she suggested.
Alex glanced at her.
“What are we watching?.The Conjuring Universe.?”
He paused.
“…Of course.”
Claire grinned.
She had loved horror movies since high school.
What she didn’t know..
Was that Alex only started watching them—because of her.
Because of something Clayton once said.
Because of curiosity.
And because—it made him feel closer to her.
When they returned...
Alex registered his fingerprint at Claire’s unit.
Then went back to his own place.
He called his parents.
Told them everything, about Claire.
About them.
After that..
He took a shower.
Changed into something comfortable.
Simple.Relaxed.
But his mind...
Was anything but calm.
Half an hour later...
He stood in front of her door again.
Breathing slowly.
Trying to steady himself.
“…Calm down.”
Because behind that door—
Was the girl he had loved for years.
And now, she was finally—His.
But even then...
His heart refused to stay still.
- Writer
