A/N: I was listening to 'Fix You – Coldplay, when I started writing. It helps set the mood.

His car was in the driveway when she got home from work, nearly four weeks since he left. Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment she truly believed that he was coming home, when she remembered that he still had belongings there. He had only left with his clothing and his laptop. Everything else he owned still lay out where he left them, as she couldn't bring herself to clean up. It was just easier to pretend that he was out, rather than gone forever.

She walked up the driveway, opening the already unlocked front door and went straight up to her bedroom. He was lying on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. His expression was neutral but he had dark circles around his bloodshot eyes, and his face was blotched with red, as if he had been crying.

She stood in the doorway for what felt like an eternity, not daring to break the silence, before he turned his head and caught her eye. His eyes were hard, guarded, but not mean, like they had been so many days before. Finally, he sat up and patted the spot beside him, and she sat down crossed legged facing towards him.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it. He spoke slowly, carefully choosing each individual word.

"What did I do, Zoey?" He said, looking her directly in the eye. "What did I do that was so terrible that made you do it?"

She stayed silent, not sure of how to respond.

He looked up, before returning his eyes to her. "I just want to know what was going through your head. I want to know what I did to possess you to do that."

"You didn't do anything, Chase. I fucked up. I made a stupid fucking mistake. You didn't do anything wrong."

He shook his head. "No, Zoey. We both know that's not the only reason. Just tell me the whole truth. I won't argue."

She looked down at the ring that was still bound on her finger. She refused to take it off.

She took a deep breath. "I was lonely. You were so into writing your novel and I work nine hours a day. When I'm home, you're either writing or cleaning, or doing other work. I felt like we barely even spoke anymore, and I was lonely." She began to tear up. "And I'm not defending my actions. I should have just told you, but stupid fucking James showed up and wouldn't leave me alone. I gave in."

His eyes turned sad. "Zoey." He ran a finger through his hair. "Were we really at a point where you felt like you couldn't talk to me?"

"No. We weren't. I just didn't want to blame you for anything, and I knew that your writing was going so well and I didn't want to mess that up for you. And I don't even know why you're still sitting here, listening to me. I'm pathetic and you should hate me."

He stood up and started pacing slowly around the room. "You're right. I should hate you."

Her eyes narrowed. "I love you, Chase." She said, simply.

He buried his face in his hands for a moment before looking up. "And here's the fucked up part, Zoey. I don't hate you. I never hated you. I'm incredibly mad at you, and I don't trust you anymore, but somehow, my stupid fucking heart disagrees with all forms of logic. I still love you, Zoey. It's completely fucked up. I should leave you, but I can't. I can't be here with you unhappy, but I can't leave.

"Don't leave me again." She said in a small voice. "Please."

"Zoey, you CHEATED on me, and you want me to stay?!"

"I know you'll never forgive me, and I deserve it, but I'm so sorry, Chase. I hate myself every minute for it. I love you, and I don't deserve you. But I need you. Please don't leave."

His eyes filled with tears, but he remained guarded. "I can't leave you."

She broke down into sobs and he wrapped his arms around her waist as she cried into his shirt. He pulled her away for a moment before kissing her.

The weeks that followed were filled with awkward silences, sleeping in separate rooms, and counseling. He didn't trust her at first, but as the days progressed he seemed more and more like the boy she had known and grown to love. He slept in the guest room for weeks, before eventually surrendering and crawling into bed with her at 3:30AM one night.

She switched to a day job closer to their home, partly to get away from James, but mostly to be able to see her husband more. She came home at lunch some days, and others he picked her up and they went out. Day by day, she could feel her life rebuilding and their relationship strengthening.

He made an effort to communicate more with her, and they ate dinner together each night, rather than alone, as they used to. Once and a while he would look at her with the same disgust as when it happened, but for the most part, he looked at her with love, and nothing else.

She was still in pain from hurting him, but it was fading. And, eleven months later, as they sat on the swing in their backyard, her head resting on his shoulder, it was a blurred memory, a speck in the grand scheme of things, and life would move on. Chase stayed, and this time, she wasn't letting him go.

Ever.

A/N:

I don't really have much to say about this. THANK YOU to the people that reviewed. You guys rock.

This was kind of a follow up/part two/epilogue, and it's finished. It's not fantastic (and I somehow managed to make a grammatical error in the title when I posted it last night...it's fixed now) but it's not the typical Choey fluff. I was originally going to have him walk out and leave forever, but I wouldn't be able to live with that.

Anyways, review please.

-Sarah