The Space Between Heartbeats

Broken Her

Chapter Eighteen

Broken Her

RIXON’S POV

The hallway outside Danni’s hospital room felt colder than it should’ve.

Too bright. Too clean.

Like the world was mocking him while his insides fell apart.

Rixon slumped against the wall, chest heaving as if he’d just run a marathon.

But he hadn’t.

He’d just lost her.

For real this time.

Not some fight.

Not some stupid break he could smooth over later.

No.

Danni had looked him in the eye and said no.

Said I forgive you, but I can't choose you.

And God—

It hurt.

So much worse than he expected.

His hand dragged over his face, rough and shaking.

His throat burned, and his chest felt like it was splitting open from the inside.

Because this time?

There was no one else to blame.

Not his family.

Not Cole.

Not even fate.

Just him.

He’d broken the best thing that ever happened to him.

And now he had to live with that.

His head tipped back against the wall with a thud.

Eyes stinging.

Lungs refusing to fill right.

Down the hall, he caught a glimpse — Cole.

Just as wrecked.

Dark circles under his eyes. Shoulders hunched.

Staring at the floor like it held the meaning of life.

And for the first time—

Rixon didn’t feel that usual spike of jealousy or rage.

All he felt was…

tired.

So damn tired of fighting.

His stomach twisted.

Because yeah, they both cared about her.

Yeah, they’d both crossed lines and made mistakes.

But maybe—

Maybe it was time to stop tearing each other apart.

They’d been friends once.

Best friends.

Before, everything got tangled in Danni and pride and heartbreak.

And now?

If he couldn’t have Danni’s heart—

Maybe he could at least try to get back some piece of the family they used to be.

Rixon scrubbed his face again.

Blew out a breath.

His chest still hurts.

His pride still stung.

And yeah, his heart was in pieces.

But somewhere under all that,

There was a flicker of something else.

Resolve.

“You’re an i***t, Rix,” he muttered.

“But maybe it’s time to stop being the i***t who breaks everything.”

His eyes flicked back to Cole.

Still slumped. Still broken.

And yeah—

They had miles of damage between them.

But maybe—

If he swallowed his pride and made the first move—

They could start patching the cracks.

Not for Danni.

Not to win anything.

But because they both deserved to stop bleeding over the same old wounds.

Rixon pushed off the wall, legs shaky but moving.

My chest still cracked open, but lighter now.

Like maybe—

If he couldn’t fix the past,

He could at least try to build something better going forward.

And maybe—

Just maybe—

He could start being someone worth calling a best friend again.