Chapter 136
Chapter 136
Christiana’s POV
The tension in the car was suffocating as Alex drove us to a secluded spot overlooking the city.
city. Noon sunligh
sunlight streamed through the windows, Bluminating every sharp line of his face, the rigid set of his jaw, the hard press of his lips, the shadow that seemned to darken his expression despite the Lightness around us.
He hadn’t said a word since we left Daniel’s house. The silence between us felt thicker than ever, an invisible wall that neither of us dared to breach.
I watched his hands grip the steering wheel, his knuckles white from the pressure. He looked like he was barely holding himself together, like any word I said might be the one to make him unravel,
“Alex. I began softly, breaking the silence, but he didn’t even glance at me.
“Not now,” he said, his voice low and controlled, but the tension underneath was impossible to miss.
I shrank back into my seat, biting my lip as guilt gnawed at me. The rest of the drive passed in that same suffocating quiet, and when he finally pulled into a small clearing at the edge of the overlook, I hesitated before unbuckling my watbelt.
Alex was already out of the car by the time I stepped onto the dry, sunbaked ground. He walked toward the railing without a glance in my direction, his long strides purposeful and his shoulders stiff. The wind picked up slightly, rustling the trees and carrying the faint hun of the city below us, but it didn’t ease the heaviness in the air.
I stood by the car for a moment, watching him. His back was to me, his hands gripping the railing as he stared out at the city stretched below. The noon sun cast harsh shadows around him, but he looked unmovable, like he was made of stone.
Taking a deep breath, I walked toward him, stopping a few steps away. “Alex” I said, my voice trembling
He didn’t turn, but I saw his shoulders tense. For a long moment, he didn’t say anything, and the silence was almost unbearable.
“Please.” I continued, trying to keep my voice steady. “Let me explain.”
Finally, he spoke, his tone quiet but razor–sharp. “Explain what, Christiana?” He turned slightly, just enough for me to see the pain in his eyes. “Explain why you were holding him like that? Why you looked at him like he was the most important person in the world?”
I flinched at the accusation, even though I knew he wasn’t wrong to feel this way. “It wasn’t like that.” I said quickly, my voice breaking. “Tve rejected Daniel, Alex. I’ve told him I love you only you. But he’s been struggling. His grandmother begged me to help him. She said he wasn’t eating, wasn’t sleeping, that he’d locked himself away.”
“So, what?” Alex’s voice rose slightly, but he still didn’t face me fully. “You thought it was your responsibility to fix him? To go to his house and hold him like he still had a claim on you?”
I shook my head, the guilt in my chest growing heavier. “No, Alex. I wasn’t trying to fix him. I was trying to help his family, I didn’t think…”
“That’s the problem,” he cut me off, turning to face me fully now. His eyes, usually so warm and full of life, were stormy, filled with frustration and hurt. “You didn’t think, Christiana. You didn’t think about what it would feel like for me to see you like that. You didn’t think about what it would do
To us.
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. My lips parted, but no sound came out at first. “I didn’t think it would hurt you this much,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
He let out a sharp exhale, running a hand through his hair. “Of course, it hurt me,” he said, his tone quieter but no less intense. “How would you feel if it was me? If I went to Bianca’s house and you saw me holding her like that?”
The mention of her name sent a jolt through me, even though he hadn’t said it outright. My stomach churned at the thought of him with his despicable, murderous ex, and for the first time, I truly understood the depth of his pain
“I’d feel jealous,” I admitted, my voice trembling. Td feel bitter and insecure, Like I wasn’t enough.” My eyes filled with tears as 1 met his gaze. “I’m so sorry, Alex. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
He sighed, looking away as his jaw tightened. “I know you didn’t mean to,” he said after a moment. “But that doesn’t make it hurt any
I stepped closer, reaching for his hand, but he pulled away, taking a step back toward the railing. The distance felt like a physical blow, and I froze.
unsure of what to do
“I need time, Christiana,” he said, his voler quieter now but ΠΟ
less firm. “I
“I need to clear my head.”
“Alex..” My voice broke, and I tried again. “Please don’t shut me out.”“”
He looked at me then, his eyes softening just a fraction. “I’m not shutting you out,” he said. “Tim just trying to figure out how to deal with this.”
12:17 PM ·
I nodded, blinking back tears. “I’ll wait in the car,” I said, my voice barely audible.
He didn’t respond, turning back to the railing as I walked away.
Back in the car, I sat on the hood, wrapping my arms around myself as I watched him from a distance. The noon sun beat down relentlessly, but the beat didn’t reach me. All I could feel was the chill of the space between us, the ache of knowing I’d hurt the man I loved more than anything-
Alex stood there for what felt like hours, his figure silhouened against the city skyline. The wind ruffled his hair, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, but he didn’t move away from the railing.
I wanted to run to him, to beg him to forgive me, but I stayed where I was, giving him the space he’d asked for. The seconds stretched into minutes, cach one heavier than the last,
When Alex finally moved, he didn’t come back toward the car. Instead, he walked a few steps along the railing, his hands in his pockets, his head bowed. He looked so lost, and it broke my heart to see him like this.
“Alex, I called softly, but he didn’t respond.
1 bit my lip, fighting the urge to go to him. He needed time, I reminded myself. But waiting felt like torture, like I was watching us fall apart in slow
motion.
Eventually, Alex turned and began walking back toward the car. My heart leapt, hoping he’d say something–anything–to bridge the gap between
But he stopped a few feet away, his expression unreadable. “Let’s go,” he said quietly, his voice void of
emotion.
I nodded, sliding off the hood and climbing into the passenger seat. As he started the car, I glanced at him, my chest aching. “Alex, I love you,” I said softly, hoping my words would reach him.
He didn’t respond, his focus on the road as we drove back in silence.