The way Julian’s eyes had flickered with heartbreak earlier. The way Emma had stormed off with tears barely held back. And the quiet voice in Lexi’s heart that told her this wasn’t just hate—it was pain.
She took a deep breath and knocked.
Silence.
Lexi knocked again, softer this time. “Emma… it’s me.”
Still nothing.
“I don’t want to fight. I just want to talk.”
After a long pause, the door creaked open. Emma stood there in an oversized hoodie, her hair pulled into a messy bun. No makeup. No carefully curated expression. Just raw, sullen exhaustion.
“What do you want?” she asked, voice low.
“To understand,” Lexi replied. “Please.”
Emma sighed, turning her back as she walked back inside. “I don’t have the energy to argue with you right now.”
“I’m not here to argue,” Lexi said, ste
