warnings: none.. just small lil angst
Part 1: The things we didn’t say
The rain outside wasn’t gentle anymore. It hit the windows like it was trying to get in—like it was desperate to be heard, just like her.
Chris sat hunched over on the edge of the bed, fists clenched, jaw tight. His chest rose and fell too quickly for someone pretending he was fine. His eyes were locked on the floor, as if looking up at her would make this more real.
She stood in the kitchen, holding the kettle like it was the only thing keeping her hands from shaking. The smell of hot chocolate filled the air—his favorite. It used to make him smile without fail. She wondered if it still could.
She poured the drink slowly, carefully, like everything depended on how steady her hands were. The mug was black, a little chipped on the rim—just like them, just like now.
She walked into the room, the silence between them so heavy it almost felt alive.
“I made you hot chocolate,” she said quietly, setting it down on the nightstand next to him.
He didn’t look at her. He didn’t even flinch.
“Thanks,” he muttered, voice rough and distant. It felt like a stranger’s.
Her chest tightened. “That’s it?”
Chris ran his fingers through his hair, finally lifting his head, eyes bloodshot and dull. “What else do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know,” she said, arms wrapped around herself like armor. “Maybe that you still care. That I’m not the only one lying awake at night trying to fix this in my head.”
“Of course I care,” he snapped suddenly, finally standing. “Do you think this is easy for me? Watching us fall apart and not knowing how to stop it?”
“Then why don’t you try?” Her voice cracked on the word. “You shut down, Chris. You don’t talk to me. You act like this is happening to you—not like you’re a part of it.”
He turned away, staring out the rain-smeared window. “Because every time I try, it feels like I make it worse. I say the wrong thing, you look at me like I’m not who I used to be—and maybe I’m not. Maybe I broke somewhere along the way and never figured out how to put myself back together.”
She laughed bitterly. “You think I haven’t felt broken too? The difference is, I still showed up. I still fought.”
He turned to her, eyes filled with something dangerous and desperate. “And what if I’m tired of fighting for something that feels like it’s already gone?”
The words hit her like a punch to the gut. She stumbled back a step, blinking away tears she refused to let fall.
“So that’s it?” she whispered. “You’re done?”
He didn’t answer. That was answer enough.
She looked down at the mug. The hot chocolate had stopped steaming.
She picked it up, walked to him, and held it out.
“This—this stupid drink was the last piece of warmth I could think to give you. And you couldn’t even look at it.”
Chris looked at the mug, then at her—eyes full of regret, of words he’d never say.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to let it get this bad.”
She blinked, voice trembling. “But you did.”
And then, softer, like the breath had been knocked from her:
“I loved you more than I ever thought I could love someone. And I don’t think you ever knew what to do with that.”
He stepped forward, but she was already backing away.
“I don’t need you to chase me, Chris. I needed you to choose me. And you didn’t.”
She turned before he could say another word. The door clicked shut behind her.
He stood there, alone, staring at the mug in his hands.
Still warm. But cooling fast
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leena’s notes: should i continue the series?? lowk feel like this is ass anyway… this is my FIRST time writing sooooo don’t flame me😹😹 kk! hugs and kisses bbys!
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