(Ethan's POV)
The tension in the car was thick, a suffocating weight that mirrored the turmoil within me. Isabella's reappearance had shattered the fragile peace we'd found, reigniting the doubts and insecurities that threatened to pull us apart.
"It was a long time ago," I repeated, my voice rough, my gaze fixed on the road. "It doesn't matter anymore."
But the words felt hollow, a desperate attempt to erase the past, to deny the lingering shadows that haunted me.
Claire remained silent, her eyes fixed on the passing scenery, her expression unreadable. I could feel her pulling away, the fragile trust we'd built crumbling before my eyes.
We drove in silence for a while, the only sound the hum of the engine and the soft whisper of the wind. The tension in the car was palpable, a raw, undeniable force that threatened to explode.
"You always choose business, Ethan," Claire said, her voice tight, her eyes flashing. "You always put your work before everything else."
The accusation hit me like a physical blow, a stark reminder of my past mistakes. I'd always prioritized my career, allowing it to consume me, to define me.
"That's not true," I said, my voice low, my guilt a heavy weight in my chest.
"Isn't it?" she countered, her voice laced with a bitter edge. "You disappeared after we...last time. You've been avoiding me for weeks. And now, Isabella shows up, and you're suddenly distant again."
"It's not like that," I said, my voice pleading, my eyes searching hers. "Isabella...she's complicated. She represents a part of my past I'm trying to leave behind."
"But you can't, can you?" she asked, her voice barely audible, her eyes filled with a raw, honest hurt. "You're still tied to it. Still tied to her."
"That's not true," I repeated, my voice rough, my desperation growing. "I love you, Claire. I want to be with you. I'm trying."
"Trying isn't enough, Ethan," she said, her voice trembling, her eyes filled with tears. "I need to know that you'll choose me. That you'll choose us. Always."
The silence that followed was heavy, charged with unspoken emotions. I wanted to promise her everything, to erase her doubts, but I hesitated. I was afraid. Afraid of failing her, afraid of repeating the past.
"I...I don't know," I confessed, my voice barely audible, my vulnerability laid bare. "I'm scared, Claire. Scared of losing you again. Scared of...everything."
The confession hung in the air, a raw admission of my fears. I'd always been afraid of love, of vulnerability, of opening myself up to the possibility of getting hurt. And now, those fears were threatening to destroy the very thing I craved.
(Claire's POV)
The silence in the car was a suffocating weight, a testament to the raw, undeniable fear that gnawed at me. Isabella's presence had reignited the doubts I'd tried so hard to bury, the fear that Ethan would always choose business over love.
"You always choose business, Ethan," I said, my voice tight, my eyes flashing. "You always put your work before everything else."
It was a harsh accusation, a desperate attempt to force him to confront his priorities. I needed to know if I was just a fleeting moment in his life, or if I was a part of his future.
"That's not true," he said, his voice low, his guilt a heavy weight in his chest.
"Isn't it?" I countered, my voice laced with a bitter edge. "You disappeared after we...last time. You've been avoiding me for weeks. And now, Isabella shows up, and you're suddenly distant again."
His excuses felt hollow, a desperate attempt to justify his actions. I needed more than words. I needed proof.
"I love you, Claire," he said, his voice rough, his desperation growing. "I want to be with you. I'm trying."
"Trying isn't enough, Ethan," I said, my voice trembling, my eyes filled with tears. "I need to know that you'll choose me. That you'll choose us. Always."
The silence that followed was heavy, charged with unspoken emotions. I waited for his answer, my heart pounding in my chest, my future hanging in the balance.
"I...I don't know," he confessed, his voice barely audible, his vulnerability laid bare. "I'm scared, Claire. Scared of losing you again. Scared of...everything."
His confession was a raw, honest admission of his fears. It was a moment of vulnerability, a moment of truth. And in that moment, I knew that we were at a crossroads. We could either face our fears together, or we could let them tear us apart. And I knew that I couldn't accept anything less than his whole heart.