The One Who Left
862 Words
Chapter Sixteen
The One Who Left
DANNI’S POV
I was still shaking when the door cracked open again.
For a heartbeat, I thought it was Cole coming back.
Part of me wanted it to be.
But when I looked up—
It was him.
Rixon.
My lungs forgot how to work for a second.
My heart stuttered, then thumped hard against my ribs.
He stood frozen in the doorway, one hand braced against the frame, as if he wasn’t sure he had permission to step inside.
His face was pale, thinner than I remembered.
Dark circles bloomed under his eyes, and his jaw was tight like he was chewing on words he couldn’t swallow.
Our eyes locked.
And everything—the pain, the memories, the way he shattered me—came crashing back all at once.
I swallowed hard, my throat raw.
"Rix."
His name scraped out of me before I could stop it.
His face crumpled.
Not all the way — not into the full mess I knew he was holding back — but enough that I saw it.
The break.
The regret.
The love that hadn’t gone anywhere, no matter how much damage he’d done.
"God, Danni—"
His voice cracked on my name.
He scrubbed a hand over his face and finally stepped inside, slow and hesitant, like every step might set off an alarm.
He stopped at the edge of my bed, just out of reach.
Like he was scared to get too close.
"I shouldn’t be here," he muttered, voice thick. "I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now."
He laughed — but it was sharp and bitter, not funny.
"Hell, your family would probably drag me out if they knew I came."
I blinked at him, heart pounding.
Because part of me wanted to scream at him.
And part of me wanted to grab his shirt and pull him closer, just to feel something familiar again.
My voice shook when I finally spoke.
"You were here. Before. When I was out."
His head jerked up, eyes wide and wild.
"You—" He broke off.
His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.
"You remember?"
Flashes hit me — his voice in the dark, begging me to fight.
His kiss on my forehead, soft and broken.
I nodded; chest tight.
"Pieces."
Rixon's face crumpled again, and this time he didn’t try to hide it.
His hand lifted like he wanted to reach for me—
But he caught himself, fisting it against his chest instead.
"I couldn’t stay away," he rasped. "I tried. God, I tried. But when I heard what happened, I—"
His breath hitched.
"I thought I’d lost you. And I couldn’t... I couldn’t breathe, Danni."
The rawness in his voice cracked something deep inside me.
Because no matter how much I wanted to hate him—
No matter how much I’d tried to move on—
This part?
This desperate, shattered, real part of him—
It still pulled at me.
"You kissed me," I whispered.
His face went stark white.
His mouth opened, then closed again.
Like he didn’t know how to deny it but was terrified to admit it.
"Yeah," he breathed.
"Yeah, I did."
The air between us got thick.
Heavy.
Like we were both standing on the edge of something we couldn’t come back from.
He dragged in a ragged breath.
"I know I have no right. After everything. After how I left—"
His voice cracked.
"But I never stopped. Not really. I still—"
"Stop."
My voice came out sharper than I meant.
He flinched like I slapped him.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to calm the storm inside my chest.
Because hearing him say it — hearing him almost say he still loved me — made my whole world tilt.
But then—
I remembered Cole.
His hand wrapped around mine.
His whispered, "You’re strong, D."
His kiss made my heart stutter in a way that felt new.
And suddenly, everything was messier.
Twisted.
Because I wasn’t that same broken girl Rixon left behind.
When I opened my eyes again, Rixon was still there.
Looking wrecked.
Looking like he wanted to sink to his knees and beg.
"I just needed you to know," he whispered. "Before you decide. Before you..."
He trailed off, eyes flicking toward the door.
Like he knew.
Like he sensed that someone else had already gotten closer while he was too scared to stay.
I swallowed hard.
"You should go, Rix."
His whole body sagged.
Pain flashed in his eyes, but he nodded.
He stepped back, hand still clenched against his chest, as if trying to hold himself together.
At the door, he paused.
"I’m sorry, Danni. For everything. For leaving. For hurting you. I never wanted—"
His voice broke again.
"I never wanted this."
Then he slipped out, quiet as a ghost.
And I lay there, heart pounding so hard it hurt, tears burning the backs of my eyes—
Because now?
Now I had everything.
Every confession.
Every unspoken truth.
And it still didn’t make choosing any easier.
- Writer
