Scarlett was sitting at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen, when her phone buzzed. She sighed, expecting it to be a spam call, but her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name on the screen.
Bastian.
Her ex-boyfriend.
The one who had broken her heart into a million pieces.
Scarlett's mind went blank as she stared at the screen. What could Bastian possibly want? They hadn't spoken in years, not since their messy breakup.
She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should even answer the call. But something inside her compelled her to pick up.
"Hello?" she said, trying to sound casual.
"Scarlett?" Bastian's voice was hesitant, unsure. "Is that you?"
Scarlett felt a wave of emotions wash over her. Anger, sadness, hurt. It was all still there, simmering just below the surface.
"Yes, it's me," she said, trying to keep her tone neutral.
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Scarlett wondered if Bastian had hung up.
But then he spoke, his voice filled with emotion. "Scarlett, I'm so sorry. I was wrong to treat you the way I did. I was young, stupid, and selfish. But I've grown up a lot since then, and I realize now how much I hurt you."
Scarlett felt a lump form in her throat as she listened to Bastian's words. She had waited so long to hear him apologize, to hear him acknowledge the pain he had caused her.
But now that he was saying the words, she wasn't sure if she was ready to forgive.
"Why are you calling me now, Bastian?" she asked, trying to keep her emotions in check.
There was another pause on the other end of the line, and Scarlett could almost hear Bastian's nervousness.
"I want to make things right between us," he said finally. "I want a second chance."
Scarlett felt like she had been punched in the gut. A second chance? Was Bastian kidding her?
"I don't know, Bastian," she said, trying to sound calm. "I've moved on with my life. I'm happy now."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Scarlett could sense Bastian's disappointment.
"Can I see you, Scarlett?" he asked finally. "Just to talk?"
Scarlett hesitated, unsure of what to do. A part of her wanted to see Bastian, to confront him about the past. But another part of her was scared, scared of opening up old wounds.
"Okay," she said finally. "But just to talk."
Bastian's voice was filled with relief. "Thank you, Scarlett. I'll pick you up at 7pm tomorrow?"
Scarlett nodded, even though Bastian couldn't see her. "Okay."
As she hung up the phone, Scarlett felt a wave of emotions wash over her. She was scared, unsure of what the future held. But she was also curious, curious about what Bastian wanted to say.
And as she sat there, staring blankly at her computer screen, Scarlett knew that she had a long night ahead of her.
The next day, Scarlett stood outside her apartment, waiting for Bastian to arrive. She was nervous, unsure of what to expect.
As she waited, she couldn't help but think about Calix. She had told him about Bastian's phone call, and he had been surprisingly calm.
But Scarlett knew that Calix was worried. She could see it in his eyes, could sense it in his touch.
As she stood there, lost in thought, a car pulled up beside her. Bastian got out, looking nervous and unsure.
"Hey," he said, smiling weakly.
Scarlett nodded, feeling a little awkward. "Hey."
Bastian looked at her, his eyes filled with emotion. "You look beautiful," he said.
Scarlett felt a pang of discomfort. She didn't want Bastian's compliments, didn't want his attention.
"Thanks," she said finally, trying to sound casual.
Bastian nodded, looking relieved. "Shall we go?" he asked.
Scarlett nodded, and they walked to the car in silence.
As they drove to the coffee shop, Scarlett couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She didn't know what Bastian wanted, didn't know what he was going to say.
But as they sat down at a table, Bastian's eyes locked on hers, and Scarlett knew that she was in for a long night.
"I'm so sorry, Scarlett," Bastian said, his voice filled with emotion. "I was wrong to treat you the way I did. I was young, stupid, and selfish."
Scarlett felt a lump form in her throat as she listened to Bastian.
Bastian's eyes were filled with tears as he spoke, and Scarlett could see the genuine remorse in his expression. She felt a pang of sadness, remembering the pain he had caused her.
"Why are you telling me this now?" Scarlett asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Bastian took a deep breath before answering. "I've been doing some soul-searching, Scarlett. I realized that I was a terrible boyfriend, and I hurt the one person who truly cared about me. I want to make it right, to prove to you that I've changed."
Scarlett raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "And how do you plan on doing that?"
Bastian leaned forward, his eyes locked on hers. "I want to start by apologizing for everything I did. I want to listen to you, to hear about how I hurt you and how you feel about it. And then, I want to work on rebuilding our relationship, to prove to you that I'm committed to making things right."
Scarlett felt a wave of emotions wash over her. She was torn between her desire to forgive Bastian and her fear of getting hurt again.
"I don't know, Bastian," she said finally. "I've moved on with my life. I'm happy now."
Bastian's face fell, but he nodded understandingly. "I don't expect you to forgive me overnight, Scarlett. But I hope you can find it in your heart to give me a second chance. I promise to do everything in my power to make things right between us."
Scarlett sighed, feeling a sense of exhaustion wash over her. She didn't know what to do, didn't know how to feel.
As they sat there in silence, Scarlett's mind wandered to Calix. She thought about how he had been there for her, how he had supported her and loved her without condition.
And then she thought about Bastian, about how he had hurt her and broken her trust.
Scarlett knew that she had a decision to make. She could give Bastian a second chance, or she could walk away and focus on her relationship with Calix.
As she sat there, weighing her options, Scarlett knew that she had a long and difficult road ahead of her.