Rejected: A love story-Chapter 117: I’m sorry

Ella had ended the call and Caleb leaned back in his chair, his hands gripping the armrests tightly as if they were the only thing keeping him grounded. Across the room, Ella perched on the armrest of the couch, her phone still in her hand, though she wasn’t looking at it. She was staring at the floor, her lips pressed into a thin line, her usually bright demeanor dimmed.

Julian, standing by the door with his arms crossed, surveyed the room like a soldier assessing a battlefield. It was clear to him that something unspoken was hanging in the air between Caleb and Ella.

"So," Julian said, breaking the silence, his voice casual but sharp. "What’s going on here? You two look like you’ve got some unresolved drama."

Ella shot him a sharp look. "Julian, don’t start."

"I’m not starting anything," Julian replied, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I’m just saying, the energy in this room is... weird."

"Then maybe you should leave," Ella said pointedly, her tone clipped.

Julian raised an eyebrow but didn’t move. Instead, he glanced at Caleb, who was sitting stiffly, his gaze darting between Ella and Julian. Caleb looked like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure if it was his place to speak.

"Alright, fine," Julian said, shrugging. "I’ll leave you two to... whatever this is. But just so you know, I’m not far. And if I hear any yelling, I’m coming back."

"Noted," Ella muttered, rolling her eyes.

Julian lingered for a moment longer, his gaze lingering on Caleb as if silently warning him not to screw up. Then, with a sigh, he turned and left the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

As soon as he was gone, the silence in the room grew heavier. Caleb shifted in his seat, leaning forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees. He looked at Ella, who was still staring at the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

"Ella," Caleb began softly, his voice breaking the quiet.

She didn’t look at him. "What?"

"I just..." He trailed off, running a hand through his hair. "I want to explain. About everything."

Ella let out a bitter laugh, finally looking up at him. "Explain? Caleb, you’ve already said everything you needed to say when you told me we couldn’t work. What else is there to explain?"

"I was wrong," Caleb said quickly, his voice filled with urgency. "I thought I was doing the right thing by walking away. I thought I was protecting you."

"Protecting me?" Ella repeated, her tone sharp. "From what? From you? Caleb, do you even hear how ridiculous that sounds?"

"I know it sounds stupid," Caleb admitted, his voice cracking slightly. "But at the time, I thought... I thought I wasn’t good enough for you. That I’d only drag you down."

Ella stared at him, her expression a mix of disbelief and anger. "So you decided for me? You didn’t even give me a chance to decide for myself. You just left. Like I didn’t matter."

"You mattered," Caleb said firmly, his voice steady despite the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "You still matter. That’s why I’m here now. Because I realized how wrong I was to walk away. Because I love you, Ella."

Ella’s breath hitched, but she quickly shook her head, her arms tightening around herself. "Love isn’t enough, Caleb. You can’t just say you love me and expect me to forget everything you did. Caleb you literally ghosted me."

"I don’t expect you to forget," Caleb said, his voice soft but resolute. "I don’t expect you to forgive me right away, either. But I want to prove to you that I’m serious. That I’m not going anywhere this time."

Ella stood abruptly, pacing the entire room as she tried to process his words. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, hurt, confusion, and something she didn’t want to even think about.

"I don’t know if I can trust you again, my heart is too fragile to be toiled with." she said finally, her voice firm.

Caleb stood too, his movements slow and deliberate. He didn’t try to get too close, giving her the space she clearly needed. "I understand," he said quietly. "But I’m not giving up, Ella. I’ll wait for as long as it takes. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn back your trust."

Ella stopped pacing, turning to face him.

"You say that now," she said softly. "But what happens when things get hard again? What happens when you decide I’m too much for you?"

"That’s not going to happen," Caleb said firmly, his gaze unwavering. "I made a mistake before, and I’m not going to make it again. I’m not going anywhere this time, Ella. I promise."

Before Ella could respond, the door opened again, and Julian stepped back into the room. He was holding a soda can in one hand and a bag of chips in the other, his expression casual but his eyes questioning as they darted between Caleb and Ella.

"Did I miss anything?" Julian asked, his tone light but filled with curiosity.

Ella turned away quickly, wiping at her face as if to hide the tears that had started to form. Caleb straightened up, his expression unreadable as he glanced at Julian.

"Nothing," Ella said quickly, her voice shaky. "We were just... talking."

"Talking?" Julian repeated, raising an eyebrow. He set the chips down on the counter, his gaze flickering between the two of them. "You two haven’t talked in months. And now you’re here, What’s going on?"

Caleb hesitated, glancing at Ella before answering. "Nothing much, just a little talk with your sister. Needed to talk to her."

Julian crossed his arms, his stance protective. "Right. And how’s that going for you?"

"Julian, stop," Ella said, her voice firm despite the tremble in it. "This isn’t your business."

"Not my business?" Julian shot back, his tone sharp. "You’re my sister, Ella. It’s absolutely my business if this guy is here trying to worm his way back into your life after breaking your heart."

"Julian!" Ella snapped, her cheeks flushing with anger. "I said stop. I can handle this."

Julian held up his hands in surrender, but the protective instinct in his eyes didn’t fade. "Fine. But if he hurts you again, I’m not gonna be so nice next time."

Ella rolled her eyes, but there was a faint smile tugging at her lips. "I’ll keep that in mind."

As Julian left the room again, Ella let out a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She couldn’t believe Caleb was here, she had thought it was completely over between them, now, he’s telling her he loved her after all this time. It felt like a dream, or maybe a nightmare. She wasn’t sure which.

Caleb, sensing her unease, took a step closer to her. "Ella, I know I don’t deserve it, but can we talk about this? Really talk about it?" he asked, his voice soft and gentle.

Ella hesitated, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape. But she knew she couldn’t avoid this conversation forever. She nodded slowly, and Caleb’s face lit up with a mixture of hope and relief.

"Okay," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "Let’s talk."

The two of them sat down on the couch, facing each other but not too close. The air was filled with tension, and Ella could feel the weight of their unresolved issues hanging over them like a storm cloud.

"So," Ella said, breaking the silence. "You said you loved me. But what does that even mean, Caleb? You broke my heart into a million pieces, and now you expect me to just forgive you and take you back?"

Caleb winced, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness," he said, his voice filled with regret. "But I’m willing to do whatever it takes to earn it back. I love you, Ella. I love you more than anything in this world."

Ella’s heart skipped a beat at his words, but she pushed aside the flutter in her chest. She couldn’t let herself fall for him again, not yet. Not until she knew he was truly committed to making things right.

"Love isn’t enough, Caleb," she said firmly. "You need to prove it to me. You need to show me that you’re willing to fight for us, for our relationship. That’s if you want one."

Caleb nodded eagerly, his eyes lighting up with determination. "I will, Ella. I’ll do whatever it takes. Just please, don’t shut me out completely."

As they talked, Julian watched from the sidelines, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. He didn’t trust Caleb, not one bit. He knew the guy had hurt his sister, and he wasn’t about to let him do it again.

But as he listened to their conversation, he couldn’t help but notice the sincerity in Caleb’s voice. The guy seemed genuinely remorseful, and Julian had to admit that he was a good actor if this was all just a ruse.

As the conversation continued, the tension in the room began to dissipate, replaced by a sense of cautious optimism. Maybe, just maybe, Caleb was truly sorry for what he had done. Maybe he was willing to do whatever it took to make things right.

But Ella wasn’t convinced yet. She still had her doubts, her fears, and her walls up. And Caleb knew he had a long way to go before he could prove himself to her.

"I’ll do whatever it takes," Caleb repeated, his voice filled with conviction. "Just give me a chance, Ella. Please."

Ella looked at him, her eyes searching for any sign of insincerity. But all she saw was a deep sadness and a genuine desire to make things right.

"I’ll think about it," she said finally, her voice soft but firm.

Caleb nodded, a small smile on his face. "That’s all I can ask for," he said, standing up. "I’ll give you all the time you need."

As Caleb left the room, Ella let out a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside her. She wasn’t sure what to make out of this, but she knew one thing for sure: she wasn’t going to make any decisions lightly.

Julian walked into the room, a concerned look on his face. "Hey, sis," he said softly. "You okay?"

Ella nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just need some time to think."

Julian nodded, sitting down beside her. "I’m here for you, no matter what," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders.

Ella leaned into him, feeling a sense of gratitude towards her brother. She knew she could always count on him to be there for her, no matter what.