It's funny how the tiniest things can set off a chain reaction. One small moment, one word, one look—and suddenly everything you thought was solid starts to unravel.
And this is how I find myself staring at Eli, standing in front of my apartment door, hands buried deep in his pockets, looking way too much like a guy who's about to drop a bomb on my already fragile world.
"Let's just... get this over with," I say, before he can even open his mouth. I can't do this—the waiting, the wondering. The whole thing feels like I'm standing at the edge of a cliff, just waiting for someone to give me a shove.
"You know I'm not good at this, right?" Eli says, his voice low, like he's trying to make the apology softer, less... explosive.
"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly a pro at forgiveness either, so I guess we're even." I cross my arms over my chest, trying not to think about the way my heart is racing, or how my palms are suddenly sweating.
He leans against the doorframe, looking at me like he's trying to figure out if he's making a huge mistake by being here. "Avery... I—"
I hold up a hand. "Let's just skip to the part where you tell me what's been going on. I can't do this 'will they, won't they' back-and-forth anymore."
He sighs, runs a hand through his hair. "I should've told you sooner. About Olivia, about everything. But I didn't, and now I'm here, and I know it's too late for some things, but not for all of them."
I stare at him, trying to absorb what he's saying. But there's this nagging feeling in the back of my head, like he's still holding something back. "What are you not telling me?"
He looks down at the floor for a second before meeting my eyes again. "It's not just about Olivia. It's about me. All of it. I've... been trying to protect you from all the mess. But it's my mess, Avery. I made it. And I need to clean it up."
I blink, not sure if I'm hearing him right. "Wait, hold on. Are you telling me that you've been protecting me from your problems? That sounds... completely backwards."
"I know," he says, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's stupid. But when things started getting serious between us, I didn't want to drag you into the chaos. I didn't want you to have to deal with the aftermath of all my bad choices."
"And now you think I'm just supposed to jump into the mess with you?" My voice rises, but not in anger—more in disbelief. "You think that's what I want? To be part of your... fallout?"
"No." His voice softens, and he steps closer to me, just enough to close the distance but not enough to feel too invasive. "I think you're the only one who can help me clean it up. I think I need you. And I know I've already ruined a lot of things, but if you'll just... let me in, I'll do whatever it takes to make it right."
I look at him, and it's not just the desperation in his voice that gets to me—it's the way he's looking at me like I'm the one thing that could pull him back from the edge. But the thing is... I don't know if I can be the thing that saves him.
"I can't fix you, Eli," I say, the words heavy in my mouth. "I can't save you from whatever it is you're drowning in."
He nods slowly, like he expected me to say that. "I know. But maybe I'm not asking you to fix me. I'm just asking you to stay."
The silence stretches between us, and I can almost feel the weight of everything hanging there—our history, his mistakes, the possibility of something that could still happen. I've been burned before. I don't want to get burned again.
But I can't ignore what I feel when I'm with him either.
"What happens now?" I ask, my voice quieter than I intended.
Eli looks at me for a long moment, like he's considering the answer carefully. "I don't know. But I promise I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to forgive me right away. But I want you to know that I'm not going to run anymore."
The knot in my chest tightens. I should walk away. I should shut the door and pretend like none of this ever happened. But there's something in his eyes—a vulnerability that makes me wonder if he's not just playing at this, but actually trying.
I stare at him for a long second, weighing the options. Then, against every instinct telling me to protect myself, I nod. "Okay. We'll see."
He gives me a small smile, the kind that still makes my heart flutter despite everything. "I'll take it."
As I close the door behind him, I wonder if I've just made a mistake. But there's a part of me that thinks maybe, just maybe, this could work. If we can both stop running.
Will the promises be kept, or will Eli's past drag them both down? Avery's heart is still fragile—will she be able to hold on or will the weight of everything crush them?