Chapter 9 Growing closer, yet more divided

The apartment felt suffocating.

Maya stood still in the middle of the room, her breath shallow as her eyes flickered to Chase, standing a few steps away.

The space between them felt like a vast chasm.

Her body screamed at her to run. To turn around and walk out the door.

To leave this place and never look back.

But her heart... her heart wanted to stay.

Even after everything he had done.

Even after the lies. The betrayals. The secrets.

Chase took a slow step toward her, his eyes still burning with that intensity that had drawn her in since the moment they met.

Hi"You don't have to say anything," he said quietly. "I know I hurt you. I know I've lied. And I'm sorry. But I never wanted to hurt you. I just... I never thought I'd be here. With you. Like this."

Maya's breath hitched.

His words, so raw, so broken, hit her harder than any betrayal ever could.

You don't have to say anything.

Those words echoed in her mind, pulling her in two different directions. On one side, she wanted to forgive him, to allow him to explain himself.

To let go of the past and finally see if there could be a future with him.

On the other side, there was nothing but doubt. Nothing but the fear that if she let herself get close again, she'd be consumed by it.

And she didn't know if she had the strength to survive it.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth from the beginning?" she whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and hurt. "Why did you let me fall for you knowing the kind of man you really are?"

Chase winced at her words, but he didn't turn away.

He met her gaze head-on, his eyes filled with guilt. "I never wanted you to be involved in my world, Maya. I never wanted to drag you into it. You had no idea what you were getting into, and I... I wanted to protect you. But it's too late for that now."

Her eyes darted around the room, trying to focus on anything but him, but all her thoughts were centered around the one thing she couldn't escape:

She wanted him.

It wasn't just the danger, or the lies, or the fact that he was a part of a world she couldn't understand.

It was him.

The way he looked at her.

The way his hands almost reached out for her, but never quite did.

The way his presence filled the room with a tension she couldn't ignore.

But that same presence also terrified her.

"I need to know what I'm dealing with," she said, her voice soft but firm. "I can't just pretend everything is fine anymore, Chase. Not after everything that's happened."

Chase ran a hand through his hair, clearly struggling with the weight of his own words.

"I'm not fine either. I don't know how to fix this, but I'll try. I'll do whatever it takes, Maya."

The sincerity in his voice made her heart ache.

But as much as she wanted to believe him, there was a part of her - the part that had been burned so many times before - that was terrified of falling for him all over again.

Terrified of being burned. Terrified of trusting someone who had never earned her trust.

"I want to believe you," she said quietly, her voice trembling with emotion. "But how can I? How do I know you're not lying to me again?"

Chase's face hardened with frustration, but it quickly softened as he stepped closer to her. "Because I love you, Maya. I've always loved you. I just never knew how to show it."

Her chest tightened at the words.

He loved her.

The confession was like a blow to the gut, both beautiful and terrifying.

She wanted to believe him, but after everything that had happened, how could she?

The silence between them stretched on, thick with unspoken words.

Maya felt like she was standing at the edge of a cliff, staring into the abyss.

Every instinct told her to pull back, to keep her distance.

But a deeper part of her - the part that was still terrified of losing him - told her to take a step forward.

To trust.

To give in to the feelings she could no longer ignore.

But she couldn't. Not fully.

Not yet.

"I need time," she whispered, stepping back a little, her eyes searching his. "I need space to figure this out, Chase. I can't keep running from the truth. I can't keep pretending that it's all okay when it's not."

He looked like he was about to argue, to reach for her, but he didn't.

He stood there, staring at her with a mixture of longing and regret, as if he was trying to figure out the best way to respond.

But there was no right answer. No easy fix.

"Okay," he said finally, his voice rough. "Take all the time you need. But I won't stop fighting for you, Maya. I won't stop proving that I can be the man you deserve."

Maya nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I don't know if you can, Chase. I don't know if anyone can."

The door clicked shut behind her as Maya stepped into the hallway, feeling both lighter and heavier than she had in days.

Her heart was still pounding in her chest, but she didn't know if it was from fear or desire. Maybe both.

As she walked out into the crisp night air, her mind reeled.

There was so much she didn't understand.

So many questions she didn't have answers to.

And yet, the only thing that was clear was that she was still drawn to him. Still caught in his orbit. Even when she tried to pull away.

She wasn't ready to let go of Chase.

But she wasn't ready to trust him, either.

Later that night, as she lay in the unfamiliar bed at a small hotel, her phone buzzed.

A message from Nathan.

"I haven't forgotten about you, Maya. Don't make the mistake of trusting him. You deserve the truth."

The words chilled her to the bone.

Was Nathan right?

Was she just another pawn in a game she didn't understand?