Never Letting Go (Draft)

Chapter Seventeen

-Angel-

She stepped back out of his embrace, wrapping her own arms around her self. Her face falling. He needed to know before it was to late. He had to remember.

Tears streamed down her face. She had to make him understand. What if he reacted badly?

He studied her worriedly, this was confusing and curious. What could a perfect stranger have to tell him? What could he need to know?

"Hermione," He reaches out but she slid away from his touch and his face fell. "What is it?"

She paused for a moment and studied him, biting her lip in thought.

She knew he had to know, he'd resent her if she told him or if he found out to late. He'd resent the fact that she knew him the whole time and never told him.

"I have to tell you something," She said, clenching her hands into the sides of her spaghetti string shirt, "And you have to promise to have an open mind about it."

He nodded, his brows furrowed with a look of concern.

"You have to promise me you'll keep an open mind." She repeated.

"Yes of course, Hermione," He said smiling, as if to say, why wouldn't he.

"Well, it's about the day we met." She said and he nodded and gestured for her to go on, leaning against the island counter. She looked anywhere but his eyes. Here it goes.

She sighed, "Well, that wasn't the first time we met."

Realization flashes across his face and he looks away from her, leaning his elbows on the island, berrying his hands in his light brown locks.

"We've met before," She goes on hesitantly, then she sighs her nose stinging as her emotions got the better of her and hot tears make their way down her chilled face. "I meant to tell you but I didn't know how, we didn't exactly get on well before and when you didn't recognize me I couldn't tell you because I wanted to be around you."

She let out a sob, her breath catching once again in her throat.

He didn't look at her, didn't say anything, just rubbed his stubbled chin in thought.

"Please say something, Tobias." She sobbed.

He chances a side glance at her and then looks away letting out a breath of air.

"I don't know what you want me to say to this." He said, a hard look on his face. An expression that reminded her of the man he use to be. The man she fell in love with.

Merlin, why did she wait? Maybe if she would've said something when he walked up to her. Maybe he wouldn't have resented her.

And she can tell but the look on his handsome face that he was angry.

"Anything," She paused, a lump in her throat, "Say anything Tobias."

"Why now?" He asked, his eyes connecting with hers, "Why tell me this now after a week and a half of knowing one another, why wait?"

"Because I didn't know how you'd react and I needed to spend as much time with you as I could." She cried.

His eyes welled up, sparkling in the fluorescent lighting. He looked her way and the expression on his face made her gasp.

"Why didn't we get along before?" He asked, placing an emotionless mask over his face.

She lowered her eyes. "Because I was a nuisance and I hung around people you didn't like."