Sweetly & Home Economically ✔

Humble Pie & The Raffle

~ Humble Pie & The Raffle ~

~¤°*°*°*°¤~

Maybe it wouldn't change anything.

Maybe it was a waste of breath.

Yet as neither of us looked away from the other, I felt a need to say what weighed on my mind the past couple of weeks. I squared my shoulders and started moving towards him.

When Craig saw me take the initiative to approach him, he stepped away from his friends and met me halfway.

"Hi," I said.

He nodded once in his own form of greeting.

Now that we were right in front of each other, we didn't want to make eye contact.

I rocked back and forth on my heels and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his letterman jacket, both of us taking an interest in the trimmed grass at our feet.

"I'm sorry."

We stopped fidgeting and looked up, surprise on our faces at the simultaneous apology.

"Uh," I furrowed my brows at the unexpected turn of events.

"Ladies first," he said, showing manners for once in his life.

Though it was just like Craig to make the other party apologize before himself.

"When I apologized about the accident back then, I never thought about how you would perceive it," I started. "I remember you saying that I was only sorry because I was scared of losing the bakery. That was true."

He scoffed, crossing his arms.

"I was scared, but my apology was genuine. It wasn't because your dad forced me to do it. I felt bad for hurting you and I haven't stopped blaming myself for it since I shoved you. I finally accept it as an accident, but I can understand if you don't. I am sincerely sorry that you got hurt and I hope that you can forgive me someday."

He remained silent through my apology and took a minute to soak it in, then he cleared his throat.

"And I'm sorry about the fire," his voice was gruff, but honest. "I didn't mean for that to happen either. I may be an asshole, but I'm not that bad."

The corners of my mouth pulled up in mild humor, "I guess we finally have something in common."

There was a slight twitch of his lips too, "I guess so."

"I'm not going to apologize for punching you a couple of weeks ago though," I blurted. "You deserved it."

"And I'm not going to apologize for what I said that day, Crabby-Abby."

I scowled. Some things would never change, but I wasn't one of them. "We'll call it even then, bitch."

"For now." He smirked, looking past my shoulder. "You better get back to your boyfriend. I don't need another black eye."

I turned away without another word since we said what was needed to move on from the past. I felt better and I honestly couldn't care less whether he did too or not.

That was as good as it was going to get between us and I was okay with it. I considered it an improvement to the last few years and looked forward to not having that dark cloud hanging over my head anymore.

I was free of the prison of my own making and free of the guard who kept rattling my cage.

"Everything ok?" Theo asked when I reached him. He put his arm around me and threw a warning glare in Craig's direction.