Erick
The air around me felt thick and heavy enough to crush the breath out of my chest as I stood before the little wooden door.
“I’m so sorry,” I murmured, my voice cracking. “I should have protected you. I should have trusted you. I should never have let you go.”
Sophia stood frozen, her hands twitching at her sides as if unsure whether to push me away or hold me close.
I could feel her hesitation, her confusion, her pain. But even that didn’t stop me. I wrapped my arms gently around her waist, resting my forehead against her stomach, as though hoping she could somehow feel how sorry I was through the trembling of my body.
“Please,” I whispered again, my voice raw. “Let me make it right. I’ll spend my entire life trying if I must.”
She tried to pull back, her fingers pressing ag
