Chapter 3 Finding You Again

• Chapter Three: Finding You Again
• Izzy
• Carl's words lingered in the air, heavy and unresolved, but something shifted between us, in that moment, it was like a crack formed in the shell that had surrounded us for months maybe even longer, The tension that had been building, unspoken, and unacknowledged, suddenly seems to have a voice, But before I could respond, Carl's voice was low and tensed, he called me back.
• "Izzy, are you still there?"
• I swallowed hard, my heart racing, There was a part of me that was afraid to push this moment forward, and afraid of what the truth or the turnout this might bring, but there was another part, the part I had been ignoring, the part that wanted to lean in, to trust him, to bridge the distance between us The loneliness I had been hiding behind started to feel more suffocating now, the desire for connection surging like an undeniable force.
• “I’m here,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “Carl… what are you trying to say?”
• I heard him exhale, as though he had been holding his breath, and then a long silence follows. It was almost as if we were both searching for the right words, but neither of us knew exactly how to make this moment right. I could feel the weight of his hesitation through the phone, but it didn't scare me as much as it should have. Instead, I felt something else, something like hope.
• “Izzy,” he said again, his voice more tender now. “I know we’ve been distant lately, but I don’t want you to think I’m not here. I… I just need you to know how much you mean to me.”
• I closed my eyes, letting his words wash over me. For the first time in weeks, the distance between us didn’t feel insurmountable. I heard the honesty in his voice, and for the first time in so long, I felt seen.
• “I know, Carl,” I replied, my heart opening a little more with every word. “I’ve felt it, too.”
• There was a brief pause, and I could hear him moving as if he was stepping closer. My breath caught in my throat as the air between us changed again. There’s something else there now, something unspoken, but no longer unacknowledged.
• “Izzy,” he murmured, and then I heard the faint sound of the door clicking shut, signaling his return home. The rustle of his jacket was discarded. Footsteps. The softest breath.
• My chest tightened in anticipation.
• “I need to see you,” Carl continued, his voice low and urgent. “Now.”
• I didn't say anything, didn't question it. I just felt it in my bones, his need, my need. Without another word, I hung up the phone, my hands shaking slightly as I set it down on the counter. My heart thudded louder with each passing second as I made my way toward the door, toward him.
• When I opened it, Carl was standing there, his face slightly flushed from the cold, his eyes dark with unspoken longing. He was looking at me like he hasn’t seen me in years, as though he has been waiting for this moment.
• “Izzy,” he breathed, stepping inside before I even had a chance to say anything.
• The moment the door clicks shut behind him, he was already pulling me close, his lips capturing mine in a slow kiss, deliberate like he’s savoring every second of it. It was like he was telling me everything he couldn’t say with words, and I let him—let him drown me in the warmth of his touch, the way his hands cradle my face like I might shatter if he didn’t hold me just right.
• I felt his body press against mine, the heat of him, the urgency. There was a tension between us that’d been building for far too long, but now it was different; it was not just about desire; it was about connection, about remembering what it felt like to belong to someone and to be wanted in return.
• His hands slipped down my back, pulling me closer, and I melted into him, feeling the strength of his body, the way his chest rose and fell beneath my fingertips. It was as though the world had narrowed down to just the two of us, and I was afraid to break this moment, afraid that if I pulled away, I’d lose something precious.
• Carl pulled back just slightly, his forehead resting against mine, breath mingling with mine. “I’ve missed you, Izzy. I’ve missed this. Us.”
• I didn't respond at first, just let the words sink in, feeling the weight of them settle deep in my chest. I’d missed him too. More than I’d been willing to admit.
• “I’ve missed you too,” I whispered, the confession slipping out before I could stop it.
• Without another word, Carl leaned down, capturing my lips in another kiss, but this time, it was deeper and more intimate. His hands moved to the hem of my shirt, lifting it slowly, as though giving me time to pull away if I needed to. But I didn’t. I lifted my arms, allowing him to undress me, feeling the cool air against my skin, but only for a moment before he was back, his hands warm against me, his body pressing into mine.
• When he lifted me, I wrapped my legs around his waist instinctively, needing to be as close to him as possible. My heart raced in time with the rhythm of our movements as he carried me to the bedroom, not breaking the kiss even once, as though this moment was the only thing that mattered.
• He laid me down gently on the bed, his hands tracing the curves of my body with such tenderness that I almost forgot how much we’d drifted apart. It’s like he was rediscovering me, and I was doing the same with him. His lips moved over my skin, soft and reverent, and for the first time in a long while, I let myself feel all the emotions I’d been burying, love, desire, longing, and something deeper.
• When we finally came together, it was not rushed. It was slow, deliberate. Each touch, each movement is an unspoken promise, a reaffirmation that we were still here, still connected in the most intimate way possible. And in that moment, there was no space between us—no more distance, no more secrets. Just Carl and I, and the quiet, intense love we’d nearly lost, but had now found again.
• And I knew, with absolute certainty, that this was the beginning of something new. Something that might heal the fractures, something that might put us back together again.