Midnight Lessons (Midnight Falls, Texas)

5. Willow

Chapter 5

Willow

I let out a bitter laugh. “You don’t get it, Owen. I heard everything that day outside the changing rooms when I came to congratulate you after the game. You said those things, and they’ve stayed with me. I tried so hard to move on, but your words... they cut deep. You said I was holding you back. That I’d never amount to anything. That no one would ever want someone like me. Someone plain and boring. The nerdy girl who wasn’t worth the time of day. You told your friends I wasn’t anything special, that I wasn’t... I wasn’t someone you’d ever see a future with.” Her voice cracks, and she takes a shaky breath before continuing. “And now you think you can show up and protect me from this bullshit like none of that ever happened?”

Owen closes his eyes, his expression tortured. “God, I remember it all. Every terrible, vicious thing I spewed about you, all because I was afraid of getting too close, afraid that leaving for college would tear us apart, anyway.” He shakes his head in self-disgust. “Worst damn mistake of my life. I didn’t mean a single word, Low. I swear. It was selfish and cruel, and I’ve hated myself for it every day since. A year ago, I lost my parents, and I miss them every day. And six years ago, I lost my heart. I lost you . I’m sorry, Low. So fucking sorry.”

Tears prick my eyes at the anguish in his gaze, in every line of his body. I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose both parents in one horrendous moment. Devastating doesn’t cover it.

“I miss them too,” I whisper. “But you don’t get to swoop in and play the hero now, Owen. You don’t get to suddenly decide you care about me again.”

“There’s nothing sudden about it, Low,” he says softly. “I know I’ve got a long way to go to earn your forgiveness, but I want to help. I want to protect you from this ridiculous online bet. Let me help you.”

I stare at him for a long moment, still reeling from the bombshell that someone has set up a betting pool on my virginity. Why the hell would anyone do that? It’s beyond disgusting.

“I’ll win your trust again, Low,” Owen continues, closing the gap between us. “I’m not leaving this time. I’m staying, and I’m going to fight for you. For us.”

His eyes meet mine, and something shifts between us, something I’ve been running from for too long.

I’d hate for you to throw away a second chance at happiness because of something that happened when you were both kids.

My dad’s words come back to me from last night. Can I do this? Give Owen a second chance?

“Let me help, Low,” he murmurs again, taking another step closer. “Please.”

I search his eyes, looking for the lie, the catch. But what I see makes my heart pound. Regret. Sorrow. And something else, something deep and enduring that I don’t want to name right now.

A second passes, then two.

My shoulders slump as weariness creeps into my posture. “You want to help? Fine. Don’t treat me like I need saving.”

“Deal. But if anyone comes near you because of this bet, they’ll have to go through me.”

My mouth twitches. “You always were stubborn.”

“Only when it comes to the people who matter.” He holds my gaze as if to convey how much I matter to him.

Maybe this is a start, a small crack in the wall I’ve built between us—a wall I built because of him. I want to trust him again so I can tear the damned thing down because, God, I’ve missed him. So much.

A flicker of hope stirs in my chest. But I’m still cautious, still unsure. It’s going to take time to rebuild what Owen broke. Am I willing to let him try ?

“I’m ready to prove myself to you, Low,” Owen says as if reading my thoughts. “Because you’re worth every second of effort, every moment of patience.”

“Okay,” I whisper after what feels like an eternity. “We can try. But Owen, I need you to be patient with me.”

His expression echoes his relief. “I’ll be whatever you need me to be. You’re giving me a second chance, and I won’t squander it. Not this time.”

Silence falls between us, but it isn’t awkward. It’s charged, waiting for one of us to shatter it with honesty.

“Is it true?”

I frown. “Is what true?”

“The reason for the betting pool? And that you and Matthew weren’t a real couple?”

My cheeks heat. “If you’re asking if I’m still a virgin, that’s none of your?—”

“I am,” he says, cutting me off again. “A virgin, that is.”

My eyes widen, and my mouth drops open. “You’re… But… How…”

He clears his throat. “I haven’t touched a woman since you.” He rubs the back of his neck in that familiar gesture of embarrassment. “Not gonna lie, I thought about it, but I couldn’t. I chose to be alone because you’re it for me. Always have been.”

Shock holds me immobile. He’s a virgin? Because of me?

I blink at him. “I-I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, Low,” he says gruffly. “I’m laying myself bare because it’s no less than you deserve. Because it all comes back to the same thing. I messed up and lost you because of it, but I never stopped loving you.”

I’m not sure my poor heart can take all these revelations. I remain quiet, absorbing his words, my fingers gripping my apron like a lifeline. “I… You loved me?”

“Loved. Love . I thought about you every damn day,” he admits, moving closer. “Wondering what you were doing, jealous as hell, thinking you’d moved on with Matthew. But I couldn’t move on. You meant everything to me. You still do. You were always on my mind. And when I heard about that disgusting bet, all I wanted to do was protect you.”

I exhale shakily, a tear escaping down my cheek. He reaches out, cupping my face and brushing it away with his thumb. His touch is warm and familiar, sending tingles down to my toes.

My heart twists as I consider the time we’ve wasted. Because some of that is on me too.

A relationship without communication is just two people.

Isn’t that what Mom and Dad have always said? And Owen and I were crap at it back then. But we were kids dealing with raging hormones and emotions that were too overwhelming to make sense of. But we’re older now. Wiser. Maybe now was meant to be our time all along.

“I-I’m sorry too,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “I pushed you away, didn’t give you the opportunity to put things right. I didn’t want to hear your excuses and apologies. I wanted you to be the bad guy because part of me believed I wasn’t good enough for you. You were popular and athletically gifted. I was an introvert with my nose stuck in a book. So when Matthew asked me out, I jumped at the chance. But we were never together, not in… not in that way.”

My cheeks burn with embarrassment, but it’s only right that I return his honesty. “It wasn’t fair to him or me. I used him because I had no pride where you were concerned, and I was scared I’d take you back despite how much you hurt me.” I pause, taking a shaky breath. “But I can’t lie. I never let you go either, Owen. Not in here.” I touch my hand lightly to my chest.

“Fuck, we’ve wasted so much time, Low,” he growls, his expression pained. “I know we can’t change the past. But I swear, I’ll do whatever it takes to make up for the years we’ve been apart. If you’ll let me.”

I don’t say anything for a long moment, my eyes searching his. Then, slowly, I move closer, moving my hand from my chest to his, right above his heart .

“I’m scared,” I admit, my voice barely audible.

“So am I,” he murmurs, covering my hand with his. “But we’ve been apart too long. Let’s figure this out together, Low. Please.”

My eyes meet his, and this time, there’s no hesitation. I give him the faintest nod, and it’s enough. He closes the space between us, his lips brushing mine softly, tenderly, like he’s asking for permission. And when I kiss him back, it’s like coming home. He floods my senses like spiced wine as I open for him, and a soft groan slips from his throat as his tongue strokes inside.

Not once does he draw me closer or press his body against mine, almost as if he’s afraid I’ll turn and run. But I feel his heat, taste his strength, losing a tiny part of myself in this kiss I swore to keep protected after he left.

His tongue glides over my lips, and a shiver cascades down my spine. I itch to thrust my fingers through his hair, but I don’t want to shatter the moment. Kissing without touching somehow seems so intimate, my sole focus on the place we’re connected. On the texture and taste of his lips and the soft brush of his beard against my skin.

I lean into his tantalizing warmth as heat dances through my bloodstream. It creates a throb that starts in my breasts and hardens my nipples before spreading down my belly and pooling between my thighs. Unable to resist, I trace my thumb along his jaw, reveling in the silkiness of his beard.

Owen pulls his mouth from mine, breathing raggedly. I suck in an unsteady gulp of air as he nips at my neck.

“Sweet,” he murmurs roughly. “You still taste so fucking sweet.”

I trace his brows and his nose, sinking my fingers into his hair, my fingertips gliding through the thick strands.

“What are we doing, O?” My question is husky, and heat climbs my cheeks at the undisguised need in my voice.

But I need reassurance. I need to understand what this is between us after so many years apart. Sure, we made out back then, but Owen never pressured me for sex. I always thought he was respecting my boundaries until I heard his cruel words that day outside the changing rooms.

Owen pulls back slightly, his forehead resting against mine as he catches his breath. His hands slide down my waist, lingering at my hips as if afraid to let go. His eyes are dark, swirling with desire but softened with something deeper.

“We’re figuring it out, Low, because anything else is unacceptable. Not being with you isn’t an option,” he says, his voice hoarse.

I almost smile as I absorb his words. They fill all the spaces I thought long emptied by his betrayal. I search his face, looking for any sign of insincerity, any hint of the boy who shattered me. But all I see is a man who’s lived with regret. A man who’s standing here, offering me the truth. And I realize I don’t want to cling to the hurt anymore.

He cups my face, his thumbs brushing away the tears I didn’t realize had fallen. “No more wasted time, no more bullshit. Just us.”

I close my eyes, leaning into his touch. It’s been so long since I’ve let myself be vulnerable like this. “Owen?— ”

My words are cut off as his lips find mine again, this time slower, more deliberate as if he’s sealing a promise with each soft kiss.

A sense of starting anew infuses me, like we’re finally on the same page, ready to turn it together and discover what’s written in our next chapter.