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Chapter 13: Leaving First Will Make It Hurt Less.

last update Last Updated: 2025-02-27 08:42:26

Audrey.

The first crash makes me flinch. The second sends a shiver down my spine. By the third, I’m gripping the hem of the hoodie I'm wearing, my entire body stiff as the sound of shattering glass fills the apartment.

Xavier is breaking things.

I don’t move. I just stand there, listening to every crash, every thud, every distant curse muffled by the walls. And with each one, my stomach twists tighter.

This is my fault.

He was already angry when I walked through the door, but the moment he saw the cap, I knew I had done something I shouldn’t have.

I knew, yet I still froze, still avoided his gaze, still remained silent. Maybe if I had just explained myself—told him I wasn’t trying to invade his space—maybe he wouldn’t be in there, tearing his room apart.

I look down at myself, at the clothes I borrowed from him. The soft hoodie, the sweatpants slightly too big for me. They felt warm and safe before. But now, all they feel like is a mistake.

Swallowing down the lump in my
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