Chapter 79: Ch - 79 You're the only one for me!
Things hadn't been the same between Caitlin and Swayam since the Christmas incident with the Reverse Flash and Ronnie. Caitlin's world had been turned upside down. She spent days in a haze, reliving the moment she had seen Ronnie—alive but distant. Her emotions were all over the place—relief, confusion, guilt.
Swayam had been there for her through it all. He had always been her rock, but since seeing Ronnie, Caitlin had started to pull away, retreating into herself. It wasn't intentional, but the whirlwind of seeing Ronnie again had reopened wounds she thought had healed. She wasn't sure how to feel, let alone how to talk to Swayam about it.
Days went by like this, and one evening, Swayam and Caitlin sat together in Swayam's farmhouse. Swayam was lounging on the couch, seemingly flipping through a book, while Caitlin sat by the window, staring out at the night sky, her thoughts elsewhere. The silence between them had grown comfortable, but tonight it felt heavy, like unspoken words were hanging in the air.
Swayam noticed her distant expression, the way her fingers absentmindedly traced patterns on the windowsill. He finally decided to talk to her about what was troubling her. He closed the book gently and set it aside, then stood up and walked over to her.
"Cait," he said softly, his voice cutting through the quiet. "You know you can talk to me, right?"
Caitlin blinked, startled out of her thoughts. She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions. "I'm sorry, Sam. I just... I don't know how to deal with everything that's been happening. Everything feels so complicated."
Swayam knelt beside her, resting his hand on hers. "You don't have to apologize. I understand. You've been through a lot, and although you've moved on, seeing Ronnie again—after all this time—it's bound to stir up feelings."
Caitlin sighed, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I thought I could be happy again… with you. But seeing him—it brought everything back. The pain, the guilt... and now I feel like I'm stuck between two worlds."
Swayam's expression softened, his heart aching for her. He gently cupped her face, lifting her chin so she could look into his eyes. "You don't have to choose between the past and the present, Caitlin. What you had with Ronnie was real, and no one can take that away from you. But that doesn't mean you can't have something new, something real with me. I'll be here for you, no matter what. Even if it takes time for you to figure things out."
Caitlin's eyes welled up with tears, but she quickly wiped them away. "You're too good to me, Sam. I don't deserve you."
Swayam shook his head, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You deserve everything, Caitlin. Love, happiness—everything. I'm just lucky that you've let me be a part of your life."
She leaned into his touch, finding comfort in his warmth, but the weight of everything she was feeling made it hard to breathe. "I don't know what I'm feeling," she whispered. "But I do know that I don't want to make you feel like you're second to Ronnie. Right now, I'm just not sure what I feel anymore."
Swayam took a deep breath. He had anticipated this even before they committed to each other, which is why he'd often feigned ignorance to Caitlin's advances early on. He was prepared for the possibility that she might still have lingering feelings for Ronnie.
"I know," he said quietly, controlling his emotions. "And I'm not asking you to have all the answers right now. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I'll support you. If you need space to figure things out, I'll give it to you. If you need me here, I will be. You're not alone in this."
Caitlin closed her eyes, emotions swirling inside her. She had never known anyone as patient, understanding, and caring as Swayam, and it made her heart ache even more. She wasn't ready to make any decisions, but she knew one thing for sure: she didn't want to lose him.
"I don't want space," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need you, Sam. You're the only one for me, and I don't want to lose what we have."
Swayam smiled softly, relief washing over him. "Then we'll take it one day at a time. No pressure, no rush. Just us, figuring things out together."
Caitlin leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder, the warmth of his presence easing the tension in her chest. "Thank you," she whispered.
They stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other's presence, the world outside their window forgotten.
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