Novel & Cerita It's Okay To Start Over

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear you say that." I closed my eyes. Guilt settled into my chest like something physical, heavy, sitting right on top of my ribs and refusing to move. "I've been thinking," I said carefully. "Maybe we were both just overwhelmed. Maybe we should start over." "We can," he said. Too fast. "We can start over tonight, if you want." I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to taste blood. Don't do this. Don't make this harder than it already is.

"As much as I'd got to know her, I don't think she'll ever forgive me." "Sorry to tell you, but the Joy you knew five years ago has changed a lot," Aubrey said the same thing that Jordan had and he grinned. Narrowing her eyes at me, she added, "And the Joy there is now will forgive you . . . only if you talk to her. It's called starting over." "Starting over isn't as easy as you make it sound." "Oh, whoever says it's easy?" Her eyes flicked to Jordan. "Moving on takes a lot of courage and, sometimes, a lot of arguments."

And that’s how you start again. Not with a clean break. But with an honest one.

“If that’s really what you want…then why are you crying, Dahlia?” I swiped at my face with the back of my hand, but the tears kept coming. He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the warmth rolling off him, and tried again. “If you regret it,” he said, mouth tilting in that crooked almost-smile, “we can always start over. Just say the word.” “Start over.” I repeated the words like I was testing them. “You think we can just—what, pretend everything didn’t happen?”

"Sometimes, I'm bombarded by the thought that, what if, who we think we're gonna be is not exactly who we thought is what we are? What if we get there and realize, 'This is not what I want. ' Do we just start over once again? Or just go ahead with what we're doing? " We all went quiet after that. Not in a sad way—more like we were all soaking in the weight of what I'd just said. Who we wanted to be. Our futures had never felt so close or so fragile. Devon broke the silence first. "I don't think it's wrong to second guess ourselves. And there's nothing wrong starting over as well. What matters is us getting to our desired destination and that what we do, or what choices we make may not always

For Ava's and Avery's sake. They both sat there, looking at each other, the air between them charged with emotion. Finally, Alexander spoke. "Do you want to start over?" he asked, his voice soft and uncertain. "Do you want to try again, and build something new?" She nodded, her breath catching in her throat. "Yes," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I want to start over, with you." He took a deep breath, his heart racing. "Then let's do this," he said. "Let's start over, and build something new. Something stronger than before."

Maybe some things really can start over. Maybe I should give myself a chance, too.

But maybe it was a start. ---

Why they call to me. I owe that to myself. I came here to start over, and that’s what I’m going to do. I close my eyes and whisper, more to the room than to anyone else: “I’ll try.” It’s a beginning, and tomorrow I will start again.

I smiled and said, “I am here to talk to you about something. Would you like to hear it?” “Sure,” she said. “I would like to start over,” I blurted. “What do you mean?” she said, her head tilted in perplexity. So cute! “Us. I want to start over. Even though I am aware of how chaotic things are, I am still not prepared for the most beautiful girl to escape my grasp. So let’s start over. Please get me another chance. A real chance,” I said. She will undoubtedly have her doubts, but I have to take a chance.