Chapter 13: Too Late to Apologize
He closed the door of the bedroom behind him, allowing the darkness to take control of the room again; he didn't need the light to find her. He laid his head on the pillow, right next to hers, their foreheads almost touching. There was tension between them; a feeling Dan didn't like. He knew far too well what is used to lead to. Not this time, though.
He pressed the palms of his warm hands on her back, bringing her closer to him, slowly closing the gap between them. 'I'm sorry, Serena, Dan.' He remembered wanting to run away, take her with him, before the rest was said. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to not have to see her break, suffer, cry. He kissed her forehead, hoping to heal her. Pointless.
'I'm sorry,' he said, his eyes searching for hers. They met; hollow. Again.
'There's nothing to be sorry for.' The way she spoke, robotic, sent chills down his spine. She did the exact same thing every time something hurt her more than she would allow it to. She closed herself in, created a cold poker face and suffered in silence. He wanted to help her. He wanted to suffer for her. And she wouldn't let him.
'No, don't do that to yourself. It's okay to be hurting. It's okay to be upset.' Nothing changed for a minute. For the briefest of moments, it was as if she was frozen, and Dan wondered if she would remain that way. Affected, broken, irreparable. He understood, maybe better than anyone. He lost Milo, the boy he loved as he would his own son. He'd been there; he could help. Why wasn't she letting him?
And then her stiff body relaxed in his arms, her hands clasping over the small of his back. Her hair sprawled over his chest, and her cheek laid on his heart, as she leaned on him. She didn't ask for anything; she didn't need to. The fact the he was there while she cried was enough to begin to get her through this. They would eventually come out of this breathing.
'It's okay, darling. I'm right here. I understand, and I'm right here,' he said a few times, hoping the sound of his own voice would drown that of her sobs. He couldn't bear to hear it.
They'll try again. They will try again, and it will be successful, and she will be happy. He vowed he'll make her happy.
A/N: Ok, I know it's really short, but I didn't want to add anything to this scene. It didn't feel right. I need to apologise to anyone who was hoping for a baby to come soon; I think the story will unfold better this way. Thank you for your support, and keep reading and reviewing! xx