Life Without Them (On Hold)

Chapter 20: Knowing Your Place

~Sang~

A knock on my door a few minutes later causes Silas and I to separate. He bends over slightly to lean his forehead on mine, as we stare into each others eyes to catch our breath. The knock sounds again, a bit more insistent this time.

"Who is it?" I ask, pulling slightly away from Silas.

"It's me," Owen's voice drifts through the door.

"Is everything alright?" I ask.

"Yes," he responds. "I just wanted to talk to you for a moment...alone."

"Give me a sec," I respond to him, before looking back at Silas. "We're good?"

"Better," he smiles.

He places a light kiss on my lips before stepping out of my embrace and turning around to open the door. I walk back across my room and take a seat at the small bench at the foot of my bed, waiting for Owen to start our conversation. He closes the door behind him and leans against it much like Silas did just a few minutes ago.

Oh God, is he here to apologize too? What on earth could he possibly think he did?

Resigned to just wait him out to see what he has to say, we find ourselves engaged in a bit of a staring contest. Not wanting to be beat by Mr. Perfection, no matter how much he may have toned down over the years, I keep my breathing even, and my eyes trained on his steel grey.

After a few moments, he sighs. His millimeter smile forming on his face as he breaks eye contact. I barely manage to restrain myself from jumping for joy. Instead, I allow myself a small smile, and wait for him to broach whatever topic it is that has him here.

"Ms. Sorenson, where are we?" he asks.

Well that I did not expect. The question, nor the use of my formal name. Where is this coming from?

"Ms. Sorenson, now, am I?" I ask with a tilt of my head. "Just a short while ago I was Sang."

"As you still are," he nods. "My apologies. Sometimes I find myself slipping back into old habits."

"Your safety zone."

"Precisely."

"And why would you feel the need for a safety zone, Owen?"

"Because I'm unsure where I stand with you."

"You're in the same place as everyone else, Owen."

"We both know that's untrue, Sang."

In all honesty, it's not. They've all made their way back into my good graces, as it were, I just haven't let them all in on that little tidbit. I suppose I'm waiting to see something from them that shows me they're ready for this. Ready for us to all be together again. They've already come to accept who I am to an extent, but that's more so in friendship. Getting reaquainted with one another. I guess what I need to see is that they've fully accepted who I've become as a woman and a mother. Much like I said earlier with both North and Silas, I need for them to treat me as their equal. Even if it leads to arguments, because at least then I know they aren't holding back. Owen standing here asking me where we stand, only lets me know that he isn't there yet.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Owen," I sigh.

"Tell me—" he sighs, and stops himself, running his hand roughly through his hair. "Tell me that I have even half the chance of North or Gabriel! Or hell, Silas and Kota. I'll even take a quarter of a chance Victor and Nathan have, seeing as how you've managed to forgive him. I won't even bring Sean and Luke into this, seeing as how they've already reclaimed their spots."