Chapter 31

PAT’s POV:

“Goodnight, Pat.”

Kat smiled softly before turning toward her room.

—

And suddenly…

I couldn’t do it anymore.

—

I couldn’t watch her walk away.

Not again.

Not after ten years.

Not after everything.

—

“Kat.”

—

She stopped.

—

Then slowly turned around.

—

“Hm?”

—

My heart was pounding so hard I was sure she could hear it.

—

For a moment…

I almost backed out.

—

Almost.

—

Then I remembered every night I spent regretting.

Every moment I stayed silent.

Every time I convinced myself she deserved someone else.

—

No.

—

Not this time.

—

Before I could lose my courage, I walked toward her.

—

“Pat?”

—

Her voice sounded confused.

—

I followed her into the hallway.

—

Then before she could enter her room completely—

I gently pushed the door closed behind us.

—

Click.

—

The sound echoed through the quiet condo.

—

Kat’s eyes widened.

—

“Pat?”

—

I swallowed hard.

—

Because suddenly all the confidence I’d built up disappeared.

—

And all that remained was the truth.

—

The truth I’d hidden for years.

—

I stepped closer.

—

Kat instinctively took a step back.

—

Then another.

—

Until her back lightly touched the wall.

—

My heart was going insane.

—

I placed my hands against the wall beside her, trapping myself more than her.

—

Because honestly?

I was the one cornered.

—

Not Kat.

—

I looked at her.

Really looked at her.

—

The same girl I’d loved since high school.

The same girl who never left.

The same girl who somehow became my entire world without realizing it.

—

“Pat…”

—

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

—

And somehow that made everything harder.

—

Because she looked nervous.

—

And I hated that.

—

Slowly, I lowered my arms.

Giving her space.

Giving her a choice.

—

Because if there was one thing I learned tonight…

It was that Kat deserved a choice.

—

Always.

—

“I’m sorry.”

I whispered.

—

The words immediately confused her.

—

“What?”

—

I laughed softly.

—

A broken laugh.

—

“For avoiding you.”

—

Silence.

—

“For hurting you.”

—

More silence.

—

“For acting like you didn’t matter.”

—

Kat’s eyes immediately filled with emotion.

—

“Pat…”

—

“I was scared.”

—

The confession came easier than expected.

—

Maybe because I’d been carrying it for too long.

—

“I thought if I stayed away…”

—

I laughed again.

—

“I thought it would hurt less.”

—

“It didn’t.”

Kat whispered.

—

My chest tightened.

—

Because somehow…

That hurt more than anything.

—

“It didn’t for me either.”

—

The room fell silent.

—

And for the first time…

Neither of us looked away.

—

Then finally…

I said the words I’d spent ten years hiding.

—

“I love you.”

—

Kat froze.

—

Completely.

—

And honestly?

I couldn’t blame her.

—

Because I was shaking too.

—

“I’ve loved you for years.”

—

Tears were already forming in my eyes.

—

“Way before Raven.”

—

I laughed weakly.

—

“Way before college.”

—

Her hand immediately covered her mouth.

—

And suddenly…

She was crying too.

—

“I tried to stop.”

I admitted.

—

“I tried to move on.”

—

Another tear escaped.

—

“I tried convincing myself you deserved someone else.”

—

My voice cracked.

—

“But every time something happened…”

—

I smiled sadly.

—

“You’re still the first person I want to tell.”

—

Kat was openly crying now.

—

And somehow…

That terrified me.

—

Because I didn’t know what those tears meant.

—

So before I could completely lose my courage, I stepped back.

Giving her space.

—

“I’m sorry.”

—

Her eyebrows furrowed.

—

“What are you apologizing for?”

—

“For this.”

—

“For telling you.”

—

“For making things complicated.”

—

For loving you.

—

The words remained unspoken.

—

Then before I could stop myself…

I leaned forward.

—

And kissed her.

—

Soft.

Brief.

Gentle.

—

The kind of kiss that carried ten years of feelings.

—

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

—

When I pulled away, reality immediately hit me.

—

My eyes widened.

—

“Kat, I’m sorry.”

—

Panic immediately took over.

—

“I shouldn’t have—”

—

“I’m sorry, I just—”

—

“Forget I did that.”

—

I started backing away.

—

Mortified.

—

Because what was I thinking?

—

Ten years of feelings and that’s what I did?

—

“Pat.”

—

“No, seriously, I’m sorry.”

—

“Pat.”

—

“I’m not expecting anything, I just needed you to know and—”

—

“Patricia.”

—

I stopped talking.

—

Finally.

—

Kat stepped forward.

—

Then grabbed my wrist.

—

And before I could process what was happening—

She pulled me back.

—

My breath caught.

—

Because suddenly she was close.

Very close.

—

Close enough that I could see the tears in her eyes.

—

Close enough that I could hear her heartbeat.

—

Then she smiled.

—

A small smile.

—

The one I’d missed for months.

—

The one I fell in love with years ago.

—

“You idiot.”

—

My brain stopped working.

—

“What?”

—

Kat laughed through her tears.

—

A genuine laugh.

—

And God.

I’d missed that sound.

—

“You really thought you were the only one suffering?”

—

My heart stopped.

—

Completely.

—

“What?”

—

The word came out broken.

—

Barely audible.

—

Kat shook her head.

—

Then gently touched my face.

—

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

—

My breathing disappeared.

—

Years.

—

Ten years.

—

And somehow…

Those words shattered every fear I’d been carrying.

—

Before I could respond—

Kat pulled me closer.

—

And kissed me.

—

Not out of surprise.

Not out of pity.

—

But with certainty.

—

The kind that made my knees weak.

—

The kind that answered every question I’d been afraid to ask.

—

When we finally pulled apart, neither of us spoke.

—

Because there was nothing left to explain.

—

Ten years of silence had finally ended.

—

And for the first time…

Neither of us had to wonder anymore.

—

Because Katherine Reyes was smiling.

And this time…

She was smiling at me.

—

### Author’s Note

AFTER TEN YEARS.

TEN.

WHOLE.

YEARS.

😭😭😭

Pat: *confesses*

Kat: “Finally.”

Reader: *screaming*

Mat somewhere tomorrow morning:
“…Wait, what happened?”

💀

And thus ends the longest slow burn in Raven University history. ❤️🏀🩺✨