*Casey's POV*
I had struggled to sleep all night thinking about what Dennis had said, and I'd come to the realisation that I hated the thought of losing him. Every time I woke up my first thought had been him and every time I remembered what had happened, I felt like running to the Zoo and making sure that he was still there.
When I thought about those words leaving his mouth, I felt more and more like I wanted to say them back; 'I love you too'... that wasn't so difficult...
Every time I thought about telling him that, though, I was filled with dread; what if he had decided that he didn't love me after all? He had backed out of it pretty quickly after all... or maybe he had abandoned me now because I hadn't said it back straight away...
The nerves for whatever the next day would bring were eating me alive and it took nearly five hours to actually get any sleep.
I woke with my mind set on one thing; I was going to the Zoo.
I pulled on some jeans and a hoodie and headed into the town to find Dennis.
I jogged pretty much the whole way there before I had a chance to back out of it and when I got to his building I was met with his familiar pale eyes. He looked instantly uncomfortable and they darted to the ground, lingering on the leaves he was sweeping moments ago.
"Look, I've thought about it and I was unreasonable before... I shouldn't have run off like that."
"It's okay," he muttered flatly and I felt the conversation hit a wall.
"Are you okay?" I tried but he looked up at me with the same stern expression he'd had when I'd first met him. That made my heart sink.
"Yes."
"Can we talk?"
"Isn't that what we're doing now?"
"Please don't be like this... I didn't mean to act the way I did-"
"But you did act like that, you did run off and you did leave me standing there feeling like a moron," he said through gritted teeth and I broke eye contact.
"I know I did, and I'm really sorry. I was struggling with everything that had just happened and it was all so sudden. I shouldn't have left you there and I'm sorry... Did you mean it?"
The frown didn't leave his face as he stared into my eyes and I sighed, "I want to know how you feel, exactly what you're feeling right now-"
"No," he said firmly.
"Why not?"
"I don't think it's a good idea."
"Why? I want you to talk to me."
"When I told you how I felt the other day you shut me down and left me standing in an alleyway, why would I want to talk to you about my feelings now?"
I stepped up to him and his eyes didn't leave mine, but his expression softened a little, "because I've had a chance to think... I'm prepared to talk about it now, and I want you to know that I do love you."
He looked away as though he didn't believe me and shook his head, "you don't have to say that just to make me feel better."
"I'm not-"
"I told you to forget I said anything."
"So you don't want to be with me?"
He looked back to me with a look of reluctance, "Yes I want to be with you."
"Then why won't you talk to me?"
He put a hand over his face and rubbed his eyes under his glasses, "Casey, I don't want to make myself look stupid a second time."
"You're not stupid. I'm trying to talk this through so I need to know how you're feeling so I know whether or not you want what I want."
He took a breath and looked down at me, "I don't want..."
"Don't want what?"
Once again he looked reluctant and I tried to coax him on, "you don't want what, Dennis?"
"I don't... want you to leave me."
"I'm not going to leave you," I cocked my head sympathetically and took his hands, "I never wanted to leave you."
"Then why did you wait until I told you how I really felt about you to..." he looked at the floor, losing the confidence to speak.
"I really don't know what I was thinking, I'm sorry. But I want to talk about it now, alright?"
He nodded slightly and his gaze returned to me, "I wasn't lying before... when I told you that... that I loved you... and I don't want you to pretend it never happened. I was just upset."
"I know. Can we stop fighting about it now?"
He nodded again and I hugged him, his powerful arms wrapping around my shoulders and pulling me into his chest.
"I'm sorry."
"Me too."
