Stella looked at his face, and was very surprised to see his eyes glistening with tears. He knelt down beside her bed and spoke, "I'm so sorry for all I did. But I'm also thankful. Thankful that you finally let it all out. I have absolutely no idea why I have been acting like that. But I promise, I'm gonna change my behavior from now on."
"But can you really?" Stella asked, her voice also cracking.
Sharp shook his head, "I don't know. But I'm gonna try, I swear. We're gonna go back to being Sharp and McCartney once again."
Stella gave a bitter smile and said, "I doubt that we can. But since you're willing to try, I don't see a reason why I should not."
Den gave a bright smile and Stella's heart fluttered. She shook her head so as to not let her concentration falter from keeping out of Sharp's mind as he sat cross-legged on the floor and pulled out something from his pocket. "An apology present." he said as Stella looked at him enquiringly.
Stella's lips curved into a small smile but it vanished the next second and her eyes darkened upon seeing what was Sharp's present.
"You really hate me that much?" Stella asked, voice emotionless, staring at the star-shaped locket Sharp had just pulled out of his pocket.
"Huh?" Den asked, surprised at the mixed anger, disappointment and disgust in Stella's voice. "Do you really hate me that much? Does a gift given by me really disgust you so much that you couldn't even throw it away? You actually have to give it back? And as a sorry present too?!?!?!?!" Stella asked, her voice growing smaller and more emotionless with every word.
Den looked at Stella's amber eyes. The same eyes that he still loved so much, and his heart twisted into a knot to see such disgust in those amber eyes.
"I'm sorry." Den whispered, not knowing what else to say. As he began to put the locket back in his pocket, it disappeared from his hands. Den looked up to see the locket in Stella's hands. A bitter smile crept onto her lips as she opened the locket and read the words inside, "hasta que nos volvamos a ver."
She gave a self-depreciating chuckle and continued, "Till we meet again." Stella looked up into Den's eyes, maroon now, indicating he had recently eaten.
She glanced at the locket once and then back at Den. Stella forced out a smile and said, "Apology accepted Sharp. And thank you for the gift."
Den thought he saw Stella's eyes glistening with tears but the next instant they were gone. He wondered if it was only his imagination as Den walked out of Stella's room and closed the door.
After Den walked out, Stella stared for some time at the star shaped locket in her hand. She sighed and left it on her bed and went to the bathroom.
Once there, Stella stood in front of the mirror and violently splashed water on her face. Stella hated weakness, and she considered those dried tears on her cheeks a sign of her own weakness. After she had scrubbed her face clean, Stella once again looked at her reflection in the mirror.