Chapter 14
Rachel woke up to a soft knock on the door. She sat up slowly, the morning light barely filtering through the thin curtains.
“Rachel, can we talk?” Eric’s voice was gentle, hesitant.
She hesitated but nodded. The door opened, and he stepped inside, closing it softly behind him.
He looked tired, worn down by years of regret.
“I’ve been thinking a lot,” he said. “About everything… about Helen, about us.”
Rachel stayed silent, listening.
“I was wrong to judge you. I let my anger blind me, and I punished you unfairly.”
Her heart clenched but she kept her voice steady. “It doesn’t undo the past.”
“No,” he agreed. “But maybe it can change the future.”
Rachel looked away, struggling with a storm of emotions.
Eric took a slow step forward. “I don’t expect forgiveness. Not yet. But I want to be honest with you, starting now.”
She finally met his gaze. “What do you want?”
“To be a part of your life again,” he said simply. “If you’ll let me.”
For the first time in a long time, Rachel felt a crack in the walls around her heart.
“I’m scared,” she admitted. “Of trusting again… and of being hurt.”
Eric nodded. “I understand. I’m scared too.”
They stood in the quiet room, two broken souls, trying to find a way back to each other.
And maybe, just maybe, the rain outside was washing away more than just the night’s storm.