The King of War Powerful Return

Be Patient

Clara stood outside her parents' house, the cool evening air pressing against her skin. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at her phone. It was time. She had to call Alex.

Taking a deep breath, she tapped his name on her contact list, her finger hovering over the call button. What would she say to him? After everything that had happened, how could she explain herself without sounding like a failure?

The phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times.

And then, he answered.

"Clara."

His voice was cold, almost distant, and it made her heart ache. She had expected it, but hearing it felt like a knife to her chest.

"Alex..." she said, her voice faltering as she tried to gather her thoughts. "I know... I know things have been messed up between us. But I need you to know I never meant to hurt you. Not you, not anyone."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and Clara's grip on her phone tightened.

"You never meant to hurt me?" Alex's voice cracked, just a little. "That's funny, because that's exactly what you did, Clara. You chose him over me. You abandoned me."

Clara closed her eyes, biting back a sob. "I didn’t want to choose. I didn’t know what to do. I was lost, and I thought Brown was the right choice, but I was wrong. I was so wrong."

She heard a frustrated sigh on the other end of the line. "It’s not just about Brown, Clara. It's about how you pushed me away. You didn't even try to reach out when things went south with him. You just... you left. And now you expect me to just accept you back into my life like nothing happened?"

Clara's throat tightened, her emotions swirling. "I understand why you're angry. I get it. But I’ve spent all this time realizing that I don’t want to lose you, Alex. I want my brother back. I want us to fix this, no matter how long it takes."

There was silence for a moment, and Clara could feel her heart racing, waiting for him to respond.

Finally, Alex spoke, his voice quieter now. "You don't just fix things like this overnight, Clara. I'm not going to pretend everything is fine just because you're apologizing. It's going to take time. But... I don't want to completely cut you out. I still care about you. Just... give me time."

Clara’s chest tightened at his words, but she nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. "I can do that. I’ll give you as much time as you need. But I’m here, Alex. I’m not going anywhere. And I’ll prove to you that I’m still your sister."

Alex let out a deep breath. "We’ll see. But don’t expect me to just forget everything that’s happened. You need to show me you mean it."

"I will," Clara said, her voice filled with conviction. "I’ll prove it to you, Alex. I promise."

There was a long pause before Alex spoke again, his voice softer this time. "Alright, Clara. Just... be patient. It’s going to take a while to rebuild what we had. But I’ll give you a chance."

Clara’s eyes filled with tears, but she held them back. "Thank you, Alex. That means everything to me."

"Just don’t screw it up again," Alex added, his tone teasing now, but there was a hint of warmth behind it. "Because I won’t be as forgiving next time."

Clara smiled despite herself. "I won’t. I swear."

After a long silence, they both hung up, and Clara stood there in the quiet night, staring at the phone in her hand. Her heart felt a little lighter, a little less burdened. It was far from perfect, but it was a start.

Taking a deep breath, Clara turned and walked back to her car. She knew this wasn’t the end of the road—far from it—but it was a step in the right direction. She had her brother back, in a way, and that was all that mattered for now.

As she drove home, she felt a flicker of hope ignite within her, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. The road ahead would be long, but at least she wasn’t walking it alone anymore.