“Nothing, maybe we can start on good terms,” Jackson said with difficulty, struggling to find the right words.
He himself didn’t know what they could start over. Now both were older and so many years had passed, it didn’t even sound like a good proposition.
Lima gasped. “You’re joking, right? After so long you want to give us a chance? What happened to giving chances in all these years?”
“I was angry and in pain. I never looked at it from your perspective,” Jackson said. “Now when I think about it, you rejected me so easily, I was so mad about it. I was being petty.”
Lima’s heart ached. “I rejected you because you didn’t need me. If you had, it wouldn’t have taken you this many years to come and talk to me.”
“How can you claim that I didn’t need you? What I needed was just a bit of time, but what I got was rejection.”
“You could have rejected my rejection.”
“You wanted me to do that? I thought you wanted me out of your life. That’s why you easily rejected me without an ounce of empathy in your words,” Jackson rolled his eyes, remembering how easy it seemed for her.
Lima shrugged her shoulders. “You think a lot, maybe you should start seeing more. I was waiting, thinking maybe your grief over your wife would settle and you would start seeing me. That’s why I always hated being in your presence, because you never saw me.”
Jackson’s eyes widened, surprise evident on his face. “You were waiting? All this time?”
Lima looked away, suddenly finding the crowd on the dance floor incredibly interesting. “Not actively waiting, no. But… I guess a part of me always wondered ‘what if’.”
A heavy silence fell between them, punctuated by the throbbing bass of the music. Jackson ran a hand through his hair, processing this new information.
“I had no idea,” he finally said. “I thought… I thought you were relieved to be rid of me.”
Lima turned back to him, her eyes sharp. “Is that what you told yourself to feel better about ignoring me for years?”
Jackson winced. “Maybe. I don’t know. I’ve spent so long trying not to think about it at all.”
“Well, that makes two of us,” Lima muttered, taking a long sip of her drink.
Jackson leaned in slightly, his voice low. “Lima, I’m sorry. I really am. I handled everything wrong, and I’ve hurt you in ways I didn’t even realise.”
Lima nodded, acknowledging his apology but not quite ready to accept it fully. “So what now? We can’t exactly go back in time.”
“No, we can’t,” Jackson agreed. “But maybe… maybe we can start over? Not as mates or anything like that, but as friends?
Lima considered his words carefully. The idea was tempting, but years of hurt and misunderstanding weren’t easy to set aside.
“I don’t know, Jackson,” she said honestly. “It’s not that simple.”
“I know it’s not,” he replied. “But I’m willing to try if you are. To take it slow, to rebuild trust. No pressure, no expectations. Just… a chance to get to know each other again.”
Lima found herself at a crossroads. Part of her wanted to cling to the safety of distance and familiar resentment. But another part, a part she’d long tried to silence, yearned for connection.
After a long moment, she spoke. “Okay. We can try. But Jackson, I mean it when I say slow. And if at any point it becomes too much…”
“We stop,” he finished for her. “No questions asked. I understand.”
Lima nodded, feeling a mix of anxiety and a strange sort of hope. “Alright then. I guess… Here’s to new beginnings?”
She raised her glass slightly. Jackson mirrored the gesture, a small smile on his face.
“To new beginnings,” he echoed.
As they clinked glasses, the music seemed to shift, a softer melody weaving through the air.
“Even at this age, you look bearable,” Lima said, a hint of teasing in her voice.
“I’m not gonna lie, you look stunning,” Jackson flirted back.
He was happy that at least as a friend she was giving him time, and they were getting a new beginning.
“Can I ask you something?” Lima hesitantly questioned.
“Sure.”
“Have you moved on from your late wife?”
Jackson’s expression sobered at Lima’s question. He took a moment, swirling the drink in his glass before responding.
“That’s… not an easy question to answer,” he said slowly. “I’ll always love her, and she’ll always be a part of me. But I’m not living in the past anymore. I’ve learned to carry her memory without letting it consume me.”
Lima nodded, listening intently.
He continued, “It took me a long time to understand that moving on doesn’t mean forgetting or loving her any less. It means allowing myself to live, to feel, to potentially love again.”
“And do you think you’re ready for that?” Lima asked softly, her eyes searching his face.
Jackson met her gaze steadily. “I think I am. It’s scary, and there’s a part of me that still feels guilty about it sometimes. But I know she wouldn’t want me to spend the rest of my life alone.”
Lima felt a mix of emotions at his words – sympathy, understanding, and a flicker of something else she wasn’t quite ready to name.
“Thank you for being honest,” she said. “I know that couldn’t have been easy to talk about.”
Jackson gave a small, sad smile. “It’s getting easier. And I think… I think talking about it is important. Especially if we’re going to try being friends.”
Lima nodded, feeling a newfound respect for Jackson’s vulnerability. “You’re right. And I appreciate you sharing that with me.”
A comfortable silence fell between them, the weight of their conversation settling around them like a familiar blanket.
After a moment, Jackson spoke again, his tone lighter. “So, what about you? Any secret romances I should know about?”
“No, I don’t romance wolves,” Lima stated firmly.
“That might change from today, because who knows? You might fall for one, from head to toe,” Jackson chuckled.
“Depends on who we’re talking about. Maybe I could, if it’s someone worth enough,” Lima replied, her tone softening slightly.
Jackson grinned. “The worth is always there for you to find. You just need to look for it.”