It Hasn't Been Long Enough
Sorry
Pete finally made it to Callie’s apartment building, and he ran up the stairs as fast as he could. He could feel the déjà vu from a few weeks earlier when he had needed to talk to her after she had seen him and Gloria. This time, however, he wasted no time knocking on the door.
Callie opened it, and it was obvious she had been crying, once again, a result of him. “Pete,” Callie smiled.
“Can I come in?” Pete asked. Callie moved to the side, letting him into her apartment.
“I’m sorry, Callie. Emma told me that Gloria talked to you,” he said.
“Yeah, she did.”
“But you have to know, there’s no way you can believe what Gloria has to say. She just wants to get back at me for breaking up with her,” he said as he sat down in the chair that was across from the couch that Callie was currently sitting in.
“Pete, she didn’t seem upset about the breakup. She just wanted to get you help,” Callie told him. “Please, if you’re taking drugs again, please, just get help. I’m not going to go anywhere if you go get help,” she pleaded.
“Callie, I’m not doing drugs,” he said looking her in the eyes.
“Then where were you yesterday? And why have you been disappearing a lot lately?” Callie asked him.
“Not this again!” Pete sighed.
“Pete, please, just answer my question.”
“I already told you I was out with friends,” Pete said.
“And that’s exactly what you told me four years ago when you were really out doing drugs. Please, just tell me the truth.”
“Callie, please just let this go. I promise you, I’m not doing drugs, and I promise I won’t disappear again without telling you where I’m going.”
“Pete, I can’t let this go,” Callie admitted. “I want to believe you, but I just need you to answer my question. I promise you, if you just tell me where you were yesterday, I will never bring it up again,” she pleaded.
Pete looked into her eyes, and knew he had to tell her, even if he didn’t want to. “Fuck, Callie, fine! I was buying this yesterday,” he said taking a small jewelry box out of his pocket.
“What is it?” Callie asked curiously.
“Here, take it. It’s yours, anyways,” he said handing her the small box.
Callie opened it and saw an engagement ring sitting inside the box. “Is this…are you…were you…” Callie tried to form sentences, but it just wouldn’t come out.
“I guess this is my super romantic way of proposing,” Pete said with a smile.
“Pete!” Callie said. “Why didn’t you just tell someone where you were? Anyone, Patrick, Joe, Andy, anyone?”
“Why? So they could tell you? Come on, you know Andy and Joe can’t keep a secret to save their lives. There was no way I was telling them. And even though Patrick’s my best friend, he still would have told Emma, who I’m sure would have told you,” Pete explained.
“But, why couldn’t you just tell me? Pete, I just wanted to make sure you weren’t doing drugs,” Callie said in a small voice as she looked down at the ring again.
“I didn’t want to ruin the proposal, even though I just kind of did. But, still, I wanted it to be a surprise. And I know you were just worried about me, but why couldn’t you just believe me when I told you I wasn’t doing drugs?” Pete asked.
“I’m sorry, Pete. It’s just I thought it was four years ago again. I mean, you were keeping secrets, sneaking off, not telling anyone. It was exactly like it was when you were doing drugs. And then, Gloria said that she had caught you doing drugs, and that she tried to get you help, but that you wouldn’t go. And then she said all she wanted was for me to help you,” Callie explained.
“Why the hell would you believe Gloria?” Pete asked.
“She seemed so sincere,” Callie replied honestly. “I thought she really just wanted to get you help.”
“Callie, I love you. I’m not going back to the lifestyle that made me lose you all those years ago,” Pete told her.
“Pete, I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not believing you, and for accusing you of using drugs. I’m sorry for believing Gloria, and for leaving you four years ago. I promise I’ll never not believe you again. I love you, Pete,” Callie started as tears began falling down her cheeks.
“Callie, just say yes,” Pete said with a smile.
Callie looked down at the engagement ring that was still in her hands. “Yes! Of course I want to marry you!”
Pete stood up and walked over to her, enveloping her in a hug and kissing her passionately. “I love you,” he said when they separated for air.
“I love you, too,” she said with a smile before he kissed her again.
Callie opened it, and it was obvious she had been crying, once again, a result of him. “Pete,” Callie smiled.
“Can I come in?” Pete asked. Callie moved to the side, letting him into her apartment.
“I’m sorry, Callie. Emma told me that Gloria talked to you,” he said.
“Yeah, she did.”
“But you have to know, there’s no way you can believe what Gloria has to say. She just wants to get back at me for breaking up with her,” he said as he sat down in the chair that was across from the couch that Callie was currently sitting in.
“Pete, she didn’t seem upset about the breakup. She just wanted to get you help,” Callie told him. “Please, if you’re taking drugs again, please, just get help. I’m not going to go anywhere if you go get help,” she pleaded.
“Callie, I’m not doing drugs,” he said looking her in the eyes.
“Then where were you yesterday? And why have you been disappearing a lot lately?” Callie asked him.
“Not this again!” Pete sighed.
“Pete, please, just answer my question.”
“I already told you I was out with friends,” Pete said.
“And that’s exactly what you told me four years ago when you were really out doing drugs. Please, just tell me the truth.”
“Callie, please just let this go. I promise you, I’m not doing drugs, and I promise I won’t disappear again without telling you where I’m going.”
“Pete, I can’t let this go,” Callie admitted. “I want to believe you, but I just need you to answer my question. I promise you, if you just tell me where you were yesterday, I will never bring it up again,” she pleaded.
Pete looked into her eyes, and knew he had to tell her, even if he didn’t want to. “Fuck, Callie, fine! I was buying this yesterday,” he said taking a small jewelry box out of his pocket.
“What is it?” Callie asked curiously.
“Here, take it. It’s yours, anyways,” he said handing her the small box.
Callie opened it and saw an engagement ring sitting inside the box. “Is this…are you…were you…” Callie tried to form sentences, but it just wouldn’t come out.
“I guess this is my super romantic way of proposing,” Pete said with a smile.
“Pete!” Callie said. “Why didn’t you just tell someone where you were? Anyone, Patrick, Joe, Andy, anyone?”
“Why? So they could tell you? Come on, you know Andy and Joe can’t keep a secret to save their lives. There was no way I was telling them. And even though Patrick’s my best friend, he still would have told Emma, who I’m sure would have told you,” Pete explained.
“But, why couldn’t you just tell me? Pete, I just wanted to make sure you weren’t doing drugs,” Callie said in a small voice as she looked down at the ring again.
“I didn’t want to ruin the proposal, even though I just kind of did. But, still, I wanted it to be a surprise. And I know you were just worried about me, but why couldn’t you just believe me when I told you I wasn’t doing drugs?” Pete asked.
“I’m sorry, Pete. It’s just I thought it was four years ago again. I mean, you were keeping secrets, sneaking off, not telling anyone. It was exactly like it was when you were doing drugs. And then, Gloria said that she had caught you doing drugs, and that she tried to get you help, but that you wouldn’t go. And then she said all she wanted was for me to help you,” Callie explained.
“Why the hell would you believe Gloria?” Pete asked.
“She seemed so sincere,” Callie replied honestly. “I thought she really just wanted to get you help.”
“Callie, I love you. I’m not going back to the lifestyle that made me lose you all those years ago,” Pete told her.
“Pete, I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not believing you, and for accusing you of using drugs. I’m sorry for believing Gloria, and for leaving you four years ago. I promise I’ll never not believe you again. I love you, Pete,” Callie started as tears began falling down her cheeks.
“Callie, just say yes,” Pete said with a smile.
Callie looked down at the engagement ring that was still in her hands. “Yes! Of course I want to marry you!”
Pete stood up and walked over to her, enveloping her in a hug and kissing her passionately. “I love you,” he said when they separated for air.
“I love you, too,” she said with a smile before he kissed her again.
♠ ♠ ♠
So, a huge thank you goes out to HarperB82, because if it wasn't for her I never would have had this chapter or finished this story. She was the one who suggested that Pete was buying an engagement ring, so credit goes out to her for the idea. Thanks :)There's only one more chapter after this one, and it's kind of like an epilogue. I might try to post it later tonight if I get the chance.