Page 27 of Owen's Heart

She’s standing at least four feet away, allowing enough room for a cool breeze to move between us. I fight the urge to haul her closer to me and put an end to the chilling distance.

“Does that mean we can move forward from the past? I mean, move forward together,” I clarify.

“I had a talk with Anson and took some time to think about everything,” she says.

“He told me that Chantel came to the café. Sorry about that. I will talk to her.” Just the mention of Chantel’s name again makes Rania tense and me angry.

“No, I don’t want you to talk to her. I want you to keep ignoring her the same way you have been. When she realizes that there is nothing here for her, she will slither back to the hole she came from,” Rania says.

“You’re right. She will.”

Rania takes a step toward me but only one. “Listen, Owen, we both were young and impressionable back in university. You hung out with your frat buddies a lot, and I was with Janae when I wasn’t studying or with you,” she recalls.

“Yes, we had outside influences on our relationship.”

Rania nods. “When I saw the picture of you and Chantel, a girl I caught hanging off of you too many times, I couldn’t see anything but what the picture was telling me. I didn’t stop and think about how you always made it known who you cared about. How you always invited me to be with you, and I didn’t come because I was studying. It wasn’t until I talked to your brother that I realized my part in this.”

“Sweetheart, it’s not your fault. I will never blame you for studying instead of hanging out with me; it’s the reason you’re doing so well now,” I tell her, taking a step forward.

She raises a hand to stop me from advancing toward her. “I know, but I should have trusted you, Owen.”

My heart steels. Though I understood why she didn’t, I never knew how much I needed to hear Rania admit that she should have trusted me.

“That picture would have made anyone upset. The way you responded to it wasn’t the problem. It was the conniving person who set it up to be taken in the first place. They are the ones who intended to do harm. But me,” I place a hand over my heart. “I would never hurt you. Not intentionally.”

“I believe you,” she says.

“And Chantel showing up looking for me today. I have nothing to do with that. I haven’t talked to her in years,” I explain. “I want no dishonesty or misunderstandings between us going forward.”

“At first, I was done all over again when she showed up. Then, I thought about it. She doesn’t get to prance into town and make me hate you again. Knowing that she never stole your heart away from me how I thought she did changes everything for me. This time around, I will trust you,” Rania divulges the very thing I have yearned to hear from her.

She trusts me. This is music to my ears. She believes me. My girl just dried up all my unshed tears. She trusts me!

I have a strong desire to haul her into my arms and kiss her for all the years we missed. As if she senses my urge to kiss her, she begins to back away from me, creating even more distance than we had before.

“Rania—” I call after her.

“Not so fast, Owen. Maybe we can go on another date one day soon,” she says, continuing to walk backward toward her aunt’s room.

“I would love to take you out again,” I say.

She smiles. “Set it up and let me know.”

I smile back. “Okay, tell Aunt Mildred I’ll see her soon.”

She nods. “Later, Owen.”

“Not that much later, sweetheart.”

I stand frozen to my spot, watching her curvy silhouette until she disappears into the room. This time, leaving her feels different than any time before.

It feels like something new, something great, is on the horizon. Like the ending of my song, Sometimes Rania is about to come true. Like there is a chance that we can fall in love all over again.

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