Chapter 53 Promises And Conditions
“Can we start all over again Hera?” Bryce asked when she remained silent and didn’t say anything more about his previous remark. He was lost and utterly confused and the fact that she was incredibly silent at the moment, didn’t help matters at all. He didn’t know if he had finally managed to get through to her of if she had forgiven him. Her silence was slowly starting to scare him, which is weird because he never gets scared when it has something to do with Hera.
But whatever her response would be, he knew one thing would always be certain, he would not stop apologizing until she is finally ready to forgive him. He would make sure that no matter what happens, she would learn to forgive him.
Hera on the other hand felt conflicted. She was battling with herself and her principles at the moment. Accepting to be his friend again only meant one thing; She would be back into his life again and she would not be able to escape all of those things that she tried to escape. She would not be able to avoid him and what’s worse, he would always be this close to her even if she doesn’t want him to.
The past few weeks were hard and she knew just how much his actions tugged at her heart strings. Going back only meant that she was giving him another chance to repeat his actions. What if this time it gets worse to the point that she wouldn’t be able to bear? What would she do then?
She had been utterly miserable trying to figure out why she was so drawn to him and why she couldn’t move past what he did to her even when it hurt so deeply. Would she be strong enough and able to go through this again?
“Let’s start over.” He offered, jerking her out of her thoughts. She looked at him briefly as she tried to get her mind preoccupied. “I promise that I will listen to whatever you say. I will never shout at you. I will never push you away and if you want me to go celibate for the rest of my life then I would gladly do so. I will agree to any of your terms Hera without complains but please, don’t disappear again.” He swallowed hard when she remained unmoved. Bryce mentally slapped himself when he recalled all that he had just said.
Really? Celibacy? Of all things? Damn! What was he even thinking making that promise. Would he be able to keep it? All these thoughts wandered through his mind but he pushed it away. For Hera, he was willing to do anything as long as she stayed by his side. He had lost her once, he wasn’t prepared to go through that shit again. If he’d have to abstain from everything he believed him to get her to trust him again then he would.
Does she trust him? Or is this just another promise that he would break anytime soon?
“What do you say, huh? I’m loosing my mind here.” He whispered desperately.
“I don’t think that you should make those promises to me.” She whispered softly but Bryce heard her loud and clear.
“Why?” He blurted out, confused abd utterly perturbed.
“Because you never keep to your promises.” She stated firmly. “I told you before didn’t I? I told you that promises as sacred and can never be broken but you always break them right after you make them to me, so I think that it will be of our best interest if you don’t make any promises concerning this matter.”
“Hera?” Bryce called softly, willing her to look at him. “I promise and this time, I won’t break them.”
Hera looked at him. She wasn’t certain that he was being sincere but the fact that he was willing to take such a bold step to make her forgive him, told her that maybe, just maybe he was willing to change this time around. The sisters at the convent had told her that it was not easy for someone to walk through the path of light after being submerged in the darkness for long. It takes years of dedication. Rome wasn’t infact built in a day. With that thought in mind, she decided to forgive him.
“I forgive you.” She told him and he couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips. “I’ll forgive you but on two conditions.” She added and he sat up straight.
“What are the um… conditions?”
“Firstly, you would have to come with me for the Thanksgiving festival at the convent just like you had promised the sisters. It’s only a few days from now. They are all expecting you to come and you promised them so you can’t go back on your word.” She said as a matter of factly. Bryce was speechless but he agreed nonetheless.
“Second condition?” He asked.
“Remember the night that we had an issue together when you came back drunk and messed up Max’s hotel?” She asked and he nodded. “You’ll have to apologise to him for doing what you did that day.”
Bryce shook his head negatively. “Apologize to Max? We’ve already straightened it out with each other so I don’t need to do that. Max and I have been friends for the longest of time so there’s no need to.”
“Or would you rather we skip the forgiveness part and don’t talk to each other anymore? Your choice.” She indulged him. She noticed how tensed he became after that statement and she couldn’t help but try to stifle her laughter.
“Did he put you up to this?” Bryce asked incredulously because knowing Max, he was willing to go to any extent to get to him. Why should he ever have to apologize to that excuse of a friend?
“Nope.” She titled her head to the side. “It was all me. You ruined his place of business and made him do all the work alone to clean up the area. The least you could do as a friend is apologize to him. He was also the one who brought you back home to ensure your safety so what’s so wrong in saying sorry? If you can’t do that much then we shouldn’t be friends again.”
“Okay fine. I’ll apologize to him.” He agreed at last. The little Hellion. He’d get back at her one of these days and that’s a promise. And Max, of only she knew what that place of business entailed.
“Good!” She exclaimed, proudly.
“I also have a condition of my own.”
“And what could that be?”
“You’ll have to stop sleeping at a stranger’s house. Don’t even go out with them if they ask you to.” He warned her sternly but Hera only found it amusing. “If there’s any place you’d like to go then tell me and I’ll take you there. If you’re feeling sleepy or tired and can’t make use your apartment, mine is not so far away so don’t you ever go anywhere with anyone without my knowledge.”
“But I can’t sleep at your house. It’s not right.” She stated the obvious. “And I only slept at Ben’s house because I was tired and it was about to rain too so I couldn’t come home.” Bryce could not believe how naive she was.
His only happiness at the point was that Ben was not him. Because in the worst case scenario, he would have done something to her or worse.
“Whatever the case, you’re not permitted to. I told the sisters that I would keep an eye on you and I’ll do just that even if it means locking you up.”
“Okay Bryce.”
He froze when she called him by his first name. He never thought he’d hear it again. “Let’s go back to being friends again.” She added with a cheerful smile.Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.