The rain soaks through my shirt, my jeans, my skin, but I don’t give a single damn. The only thing I care about is the girl in front of me, the one I’ve spent weeks trying to let go of?—
And failing.
I move closer, my heart slamming against my ribs as her voice finally registers.
She doesn’t hear me.
She doesn’t even notice I’m here.
She’s too lost in her own world, her back to me, her voice shaking.
"I love you," she whispers into the phone, and my entire world tilts.
I suck in a sharp breath, my whole body going rigid.
"And I don’t want to run anymore. I choose you. I choose us. I don’t care what happens. I don’t care about the risks. I just want you.”
My heart fucking stops. Rain drips from my jaw, my breath coming in ragged pulls as I stare at her, listen to her.
"I know I don’t deserve another chance, but if there’s even one part of you that still wants this, still wants me…call me back."
She exhales shakily, and it destroys me.
"Please."
That’s it. That’s my breaking point. I can’t fucking stand there for another second.
I step forward, closing the space between us, my voice breaking through the storm. “Well, that was quite the declaration.”
She jumps, her whole body jerking as she whips around?—
Our eyes lock, and everything inside me fucking shatters.
Madison stands there, completely still, her lips parted, her eyes wide as they search mine like she’s seeing me for the first time—or maybe like she’s afraid I’m not really here.
Like I might still leave.
But that’s not an option, not anymore.
Her chest heaves with uneven breaths, the rain dripping from her hair, sliding down the curve of her jaw, her throat. I want to reach out, to touch her, to feel she’s real, that this moment isn’t slipping through my fingers like every other time before.
But I don’t, not yet.
I need to hear her say it again.
“You—” Her voice falters. “I thought you left.”
“I almost did.” I let out a long exhale. “Good thing I forgot my phone, huh?”
“You heard all of that?”
Slowly, I move closer, my gaze steady on hers. “Yeah, I did.”
I take another step forward, slow, careful, like any sudden movement might scare her off. “Did you mean it?” My voice is rough, raw, barely audible over the rain. “Every word?”
She swallows hard, blinking against the droplets falling into her lashes. “Yes.”
I exhale, something deep inside me unraveling.
