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Chapter 25 - After the Silence

Rain Wang's POV

The door clicked shut.

And then it was just me.

Me—and the sound of my own breathing, uneven and shaky, like I'd run a marathon but never moved an inch.

I waited. Just in case he came back. Just in case it was another trick.

He didn't.

My grip loosened on the desk, and I slumped forward, burying my face in my arms. The burn in my chest burst, sharp and brutal. I gasped through it, swallowing sobs, holding them in like I always did—until I couldn't anymore.

I cried.

Silently at first. Then with soft, broken sounds I couldn't stop. Not anymore. Not today.

He was gone. But his words weren't. His laughter. The way the others had joined in. The whispers in the halls. The recordings. The way I couldn't breathe when he looked at me. The way I still couldn't breathe when he said my name like he almost cared.

Why did it hurt more when he was gentle?

Why did I miss the boy who broke me?

The door creaked.

I froze.

I didn't lift my head—but I knew.

I knew he was there.

I heard the pause. The soft intake of breath. The rustle of fabric as he took one step into the room—and then stopped.

I hated how fast my heart was racing. I hated how much of my pain was his. How much of it I wanted him to see—so he would finally understand what he'd done.

But I couldn't look at him.

I stayed curled over my notebook, shaking.

Then I heard it.

His whisper. So quiet I almost didn't believe it.

"…Rain."

The sound of my name in his voice—it shattered me more than any insult ever had.

And when I finally looked up—red eyes, wet lashes, tear-streaked cheeks—

He was already gone.

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