In Your Arms

Chap. 37: Those Three Words

*Third Person POV*

For the next six hours, Chris continuously tried to call Katie but she never picked up. It drove Chris mad that he couldn't get into contact with the one person who he needed to get in contact with. His hangover made him sleepy and he napped throughout the day, eating very little. Even though Chris had the phone on hand all day Sunday in his suite, Katie never called. It wasn't until Monday morning that Chris finally got the call he'd been waiting for.
"Hello?" The sound of Katie's voice made Chris tear up with joy, "Chris?"
"Hey Princess." Guilt eats at Chris, "I called and called all day yesterday. Where were you?"
"I slept in and then cleaned my apartment up." Katie's cheerful voice makes Chris feel lonely and full of regret. "Ha, I can't find anything now. The irony!"
Chris chuckles along with her, loving the sound of her giggly laugh. He wished he could see her face and hold her.
"So ... you got my messages?" Chris imagines Katie biting her lip, so sexily innocent and out off habit.
Chris nods, staring at his shoes as he sits on a huge windowsill in the lobby of the hotel. "Yeah, Sweetheart, I got all of your messages."
"Chris," the sound of Katie's voice cracking breaks Chris's heart "I'm so, so, so sorry. Baby, please forgive me for not telling he truth!"
Guilt eats at Chris, making his hands slightly tremble. He closes his eyes and punches the bridge of his nose. In Chris's opinion, Katie had far less to apologize for than he did. He should be on his knees, begging for her forgiveness right before she slaps him hard across the face for acting the way he had.
"No, no, shhh—" Chris softly begins to shush her, but it doesn't work.
"I'll make it up to you, I promise!" Katie says sadly over the phone, "I don't know how I can beat New York but I'll think of something. Whatever you want, I can try—"
"You don't have to do or get me anything, okay Katie?" Chris wipes a few tears away, sniffing. "Just please come with me on my trips, okay? Okay, Babygirl? I'm so lonely."
"Baby, are you crying?" Katie says concerned over the phone, "Don't cry! Oh, I feel so guilty! I'm such a bad girlfriend, Chris. I don't know why you even gave me around."
Chris shakes his head, his hands visibly shaking as the guilt takes over his heart. Katie feels guilty over something so simple and Chris feels that she has no reason to. Katie truly is perfect.
"I hate lying, Chris. Especially to you." Katie sniffs, her soft voice sad. "I just didn't want to make a scene right there and I wouldn't want to become between your friends or your family so I just stayed quiet. I didn't know how to handle it properly, okay? I-I-I promise to tell you everything from now on. Just forgive me, please!"
Chris smiles sadly, chuckling at how sweet and innocent she sounds. So fragile. Chris could never tell her what he did. It would ruin her self-esteem and shatter her little heart. And he feels that he could never purposely hurt her like that.
"I forgive you, Baby." Chris says unsteadily with a lump in his throat, "You're always forgiven."
Bruce Sings and Robert "Rob" Jay, co-founders of the Children's Hunger Program, both motion for Chris to join them over in the conference room.
"Honey, I have to go." Chris says unhappily, wanting more time to talk with his most loyal girlfriend. "I'll talk to you later."
"Okay. Bye, I love you!" The phone calls ends, making Chris stop dead in his tracks.
Katie just told Chris that she loved him. For the first time, those three words mean so much more than any other time Chris had been told that. Because at hearing those three words from Katie for the first time, Chris realizes that he loves her too.