The rest of the day passed in a blur as I went through the motions of attending classes and interacting with my classmates. But no matter how hard I tried to push Brax out of my mind, his presence lingered like a ghost haunting me at every turn.
After school, as I walked out, I heard footsteps behind me. Turning around, I saw Brax standing there, his expression unreadable. My heart clenched at the sight of him, but I forced myself to remain composed.
"Willow," he said softly, his voice breaking through the wall that I had built around myself.
I swallowed hard, steeling myself against the wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. "Brax, please... it's better this way," I whispered, unable to meet his gaze. My eyes searched the ground as I played with the bottom of my sleeves.
He ste
