CHAPTER 21
957 Words
“No Going Back”
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Alexander’s POV
Evening – Private Gym, Penthouse
The clang of metal rang through the gym, echoing like thunder against my pounding pulse.
I slammed the barbell back into place, my chest heaving with every breath. Sweat slid down my spine, but I welcomed the burn.
It was better than feeling everything else.
My body obeyed. My heart? Not so much.
Hazel.
Her name pulsed in the back of my mind like a drumbeat I couldn’t ignore.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her standing there—lips parted, cheeks flushed, eyes filled with something I’d never seen before. Something terrifyingly honest.
She had run from me that night, but it was me who was hiding.
And I hated myself for it.
I wiped the sweat from my face and turned toward the door.
And froze.
The door creaked open—softly, like it wasn’t supposed to—but my eyes caught the movement instantly.
Hazel stepped inside.
Hair tied back. Face bare. Water bottle in one hand, a folder clutched in the other.
She didn’t meet my eyes. Her gaze flicked to the floor, the walls, anywhere but me. Her breath was shallow. Her fingers clutched the folder like it was armor.
“I—um—Rose said you needed these signed,” she said quietly, her voice cracking halfway through.
I didn’t move. Couldn’t. Not at first.
Her presence in this space, my space, shifted something in the air. Charged it. Lit it on fire.
She took a hesitant step forward and held out the folder without looking at me.
Then her eyes lifted—just for a second—and locked on my bare chest.
She blushed. Hard.
“I… I didn’t know you were in here,” she whispered, stepping back like she’d crossed into enemy territory.
I moved slowly. Carefully. Like approaching something fragile.
“Hazel,” I said, my voice low and rough, half-strangled by everything I’d been holding in.
She tensed. Like the sound of her name coming from my mouth still shook her.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” I said.
She opened her mouth. “I—”
“Don’t lie to me.” My tone dropped, colder. Not to hurt her. Just… desperate. Desperate to break the distance.
Her back hit the wall.
I was standing in front of her before I realized it, heat rolling off me like waves.
My fingers reached for her chin, lifting it gently.
“Look at me.”
She did.
Big eyes. Shining. Holding back too much.
And suddenly, I didn’t care anymore about right or wrong.
Didn’t care about what I was supposed to do or who we were supposed to be.
“I can’t do this anymore,” I murmured. “Pretending I don’t feel anything when all I do is think about you.”
Her breath caught.
“I want you,” I confessed.
I didn’t wait for permission.
I leaned in.
And I kissed her.
Hard. Deep. Real.
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Hazel’s POV
My whole body froze.
And then melted.
His lips were fire—hot, sure, desperate. The kind of kiss that leaves no room for denial. No room to hide.
I should have pushed him away.
Instead, I pulled him closer.
My fingers tangled in his hair. My back pressed harder into the wall.
It was like every breath we’d held in for weeks exploded into that one moment.
When he finally pulled back, I couldn’t even think.
I could barely stand.
I wrapped my arms around him, face pressed to his chest, heart pounding like a drumbeat of surrender.
“D-Don’t look at me,” I whispered, tears burning behind my eyes.
His arms tightened.
“Why?” he asked softly.
“Because… I’ll cry.”
His hand cupped the back of my head, his breath brushing my hair.
“Then cry,” he said. “I’ll hold you.”
And I did.
God help me… I did.
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Mia’s POV
Later that Night – Her Apartment
“You don’t get to decide what I want!” I shouted, voice cracking.
Ryan stood at the door, jaw clenched. “You’ve changed, Mia.”
“No.” I shook my head, tears blurring my vision. “You just never listened. You never saw me.”
His mouth opened—but no words came. Just a long pause.
Then he turned and walked out.
The door slammed shut behind him.
I stood there, shaking.
Then slowly sank to the floor.
For the first time in over a year, I wasn’t afraid.
The man I once thought I loved was gone.
And all I felt was... free.
Hazel didn’t know yet. Neither did Raymond.
But tomorrow, everything would change.
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Alexander’s POV
She was still in my arms.
Soft. Warm. Real.
And all I could think was—how did I live without this?
Her.
The silence between us wasn’t heavy anymore.
It was sacred.
I rested my chin on her head, my heartbeat slowing as her breathing evened out.
She didn’t pull away.
She stayed.
And maybe that was the scariest part.
Because if I lost her now?
I wouldn’t survive it.
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Hazel’s POV
I curled under the covers, fingers brushing my lips, my heart still galloping.
He kissed me.
And I kissed him back.
But it wasn’t just passion.
It was everything.
There were no walls left. Not between us. Not tonight.
I should have been scared.
But all I could feel was the ache in my chest.
And the terrifying, wonderful hope…
That he might actually care.
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TO BE CONTINUED…
Comment **“NEXT” if you're ready for confessions, jealousy, sabotage, and more stolen kisses.
- Writer
