It Hasn't Been Long Enough

Pete made his way to Callie’s apartment. As he stood outside the door, he put his hand up, ready to knock on the door, just to take it down just as fast. He couldn’t handle facing her right now. He had seen her run away after she had seen him and Gloria. He knew he had hurt her, and he knew she didn’t want to see him.

But then he thought of Patrick, and he knew that he had to knock on the door. Finally, after putting his hand up for the eighth time, he got enough courage to actually hit the door. He barely knocked, part of him hoping she couldn’t hear it. But, fifteen seconds later, his fear had come true as he saw the door being opened and Callie standing on the other side.

“What are you doing here, Pete?” she asked him. He could tell she had been crying, as he eyes were still red from the tears. He couldn’t stand to see her upset, and the fact that he was the cause just made it that much more unbearable.

“I came to talk to you,” he said. “Can I come in?”

“Fine,” she said stepping to the side in order to allow him entrance to her apartment.

Pete had been surprised when he had found out that Callie still lived in the apartment she had gotten five years ago. As he stepped into it, he found that for the most part, she hadn’t changed too much in the last four years. She still had the autographed Aerosmith poster hanging in her living room, and she still had the tickets to her first Blackhawks game hanging next to the poster. He couldn’t help but smile to himself as all the memories of the two of them came flooding back.

“What are you doing here, Pete?” Callie repeated her question from earlier, bringing Pete away from his thoughts.

He looked over at her. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“For what?” she asked tiredly.

“I’m sorry you walked in on me and Gloria today,” he said not being able to tell her the real reason he was there to see her.

“Why didn’t you just tell me you have a girlfriend?” Callie asked.

“Had,” Pete corrected.

“What?” Callie asked.

“Had. I had a girlfriend. I broke up with her.”

“It did not look like you two were broken up when I saw you today.”

“I broke up with her right afterwards. Right after you left,” Pete admitted.

“Why?”

“We just weren't right for each other,” Pete answered.

Callie looked down at the floor. That was not the answer she wanted to hear, but honestly, what did she expect? Did she think he was going to say that he broke up with his girlfriend because he was still in love with her? “Is that what you came here for? To tell me you broke up with your girlfriend?" Callie asked.

“Yeah, I wanted you to know that I broke up with her.”

“Okay, I know. Now you can go.”

“Is that what you want?” Pete asked looking at her. “For me to go right now?”

Callie didn’t know how to respond. She looked up at him. “Yes,” she told him.

“Okay,” Pete replied, getting up and walking toward the door.

“Wait!” Callie called.

Pete spun around just as he was about to reach the door. “Yes?” he asked.

She had to ask him the one question that had been on her mind. She had to know the truth. “Patrick told me you wrote ‘What a Catch’ about me. Is that true?”

“Yes,” Pete said simply. “It was about a year after we broke up. I had finally quit all the drugs I had been taking, and it was the first song I had written in a while.”

Callie wanted to ask if he still felt the same way, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. So, instead, she just said, “Okay. That’s all I wanted to know. You can go now.”

“Okay,” Pete said reaching for the door handle and walking out.

Callie collapsed on the couch behind her. Why had Pete come to her apartment? Was it just to let her know that he had broken up with his girlfriend?

Meanwhile, Pete got back in his car and drove back to the hospital. When he got there, he walked into Patrick’s room to see just Emma there.

“So, how did it go?” Patrick asked as soon as he entered the room.

“I fucked up,” Pete admitted.

“What? What happened?” Emma asked.

“I went to her apartment all ready to tell her that I love her, and I just couldn’t do it.”

“What did you say?” Patrick asked.

“I said I was sorry, and she asked me what for. I told her I was sorry that she walked in on me and Gloria,” Pete began.

“Please tell me you didn’t,” Emma said.

Pete just nodded his head and continued. “Then she asked me why I didn’t tell her I have a girlfriend, and I told her I broke up with Gloria today after she left. She asked me why, and I just said Gloria and I weren't right for each other.”

“Pete,” Emma scolded.

“I’m not done,” Pete told her. “I was ready to leave, and she stopped me. She asked me about ‘What a Catch.’”

“What’d you say?” Patrick asked.

“I told her it was about her, but that I wrote it three years ago,” Pete replied, rubbing his eyes. “Why couldn’t I just tell her I love her?”

“If she were here right now, what would you say to her?” Patrick asked.

“I don’t know,” Pete admitted. “I guess I’d tell her that I love her. And that I never stopped loving her, even after she broke my heart four years ago. That all I’ve wanted these last four years is to get back together with her.”

“Why couldn’t you just say that at my apartment?” Pete heard someone say behind him. He spun around to see Callie leaning against the side of the door staring at him.

“How much did you hear?” Pete asked her.

“Enough,” she replied. “But I have a question for you.”

“What?” he asked.

“Do you mean it?”

“Do I mean that I love you?” Pete asked, not fully understanding her question. When Callie nodded, he said, “Of course I love you. I never stopped.” He then stepped towards her, placing his lips on hers, kissing her as if the world was about to end.