ARIANA'S POV:
I went to meet him at a fancy restaurant. The place was elegant, dim golden lights, soft piano music in the background, and the faint scent of expensive perfume lingering in the air. He was already there when I arrived, dressed neatly, looking… nervous.
The moment he saw me, he stood up and gave me a small smile.
Hey…
Hey…
We sat together at the table, an awkward silence settling between us for a moment before he called the waiter to take our order.
My treat. He winked at me, trying to lighten the mood.
What would you like?
I'll just have a sandwich…
Just a sandwich?
Yeah… I just had breakfast.
Okay then… two sandwiches.
After the waiter left with our order, Percy leaned back slightly in his chair, exhaling like he had been holding his breath the entire time.
You know… when last night you told me you would give me a chance to make it up to you… I felt like the happiest and most relieved person on earth. I barely slept… I kept thinking maybe you'd change your mind in the morning.
I smiled gently, shaking my head.
I promise… I won't disappoint you again. Not this time.
I nodded slowly, studying his face. He looked sincere… but a part of me still remembered the pain too clearly.
How's Linda? …the girl you had an affair with after me…
His smile faltered instantly. His eyes dropped to the table for a second before he spoke again, quieter this time.
We broke up… right after university.
Why? What happened? I thought you two were so good together…
After university, as you know, I went to Italy for further studies. We tried to make long distance work… but the distance between us kept growing. Calls became shorter… messages became less frequent… and eventually it felt like we were strangers pretending to be together.
He paused, jaw tightening slightly.
Then when I came back… I saw her making out with another guy… in our apartment.
I blinked in surprise.
Oh… that's sad… I'm sorry. I feel bad for you.
Don't be. He shook his head. I deserved it. It felt like karma. What I did to you… came back to me.
Don't say that. You deserved better… you're not that bad.
He let out a humorless chuckle.
You still think that? After what I did to you? …because I don't. I know what kind of man I was back then. Selfish. Immature. I took you for granted… and I lost the best thing I ever had because of it.
His eyes met mine, filled with regret.
I'm a really messed up man, Ariana… but I'm trying to be better. Not for anyone else… for you. Because you were the only person who ever loved me without conditions… and I ruined it.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The weight of the past sat between us heavy, complicated, unfinished.
And I didn't know whether this was the beginning of something new… or just reopening old wounds.