Chapter 15: "Breaking Point"
1600 Words
Alex couldn’t understand what he was feeling anymore.
He was furious—too furious to think clearly. Every breath felt like a battle, every heartbeat a reminder of just how deeply he’d allowed her in. He stormed into his studio, slammed the door behind him, and braced himself against the wall like it was the only thing holding him up.
He had looked like a complete i***t in front of her parents.
Humiliated. Exposed.
What the hell is she playing at now?
He raked his fingers through his hair, pacing the room like a caged animal. His thoughts were a chaotic mess, echoing with the image of her—drunk and vulnerable one night, defiant and cold the next.
It was like he didn’t even recognize her anymore.
Last night, he had almost told her everything. He was ready—ready to confess everything he felt, to take responsibility, to tell her that he would stand by her no matter what. He would’ve given her his name if she had asked.
But not like this.
Not if it meant being manipulated, cornered into a situation she hadn’t even tried to understand.
What is she really after?
Is this revenge? A sick game to make Lance jealous again?
His chest tightened as something warm trailed down his cheek.
Damn it. He was crying.
He sank into the couch, head in his hands, and cursed under his breath. How did it come to this? How did he fall for her so recklessly, so completely?
He didn’t tell anyone where he was. He didn’t care. Let them wonder. Let her wonder. He needed space—needed to make her feel his absence. She had to learn. She had to see what she was doing to him.
Yes, he loved her.
But he wasn’t going to be a fool for her.
Not again.
He stayed in the studio all day, refusing to check his phone. Shadows stretched across the floor as night fell, the silence in the room growing louder with every passing hour.
Then—a soft click.
The door creaked open.
His breath hitched.
Only one person had a spare key.
He shut his eyes, pretended to sleep, but his pulse betrayed him.
“Alex,” came her voice—low and trembling.
He almost groaned. That voice.
It was the same voice that had whispered his name the night before, tangled in sheets, full of heat and longing.
And now it cut through the air like a blade.
“I know you’re awake.”
He stayed still.
“Please don’t make this harder than it already is,” she whispered. “We didn’t mean for this to happen.”
His eyes snapped open. Slowly, he sat up and turned to her.
Even now—after everything—she looked heartbreakingly beautiful. Hair loose, eyes tired, lips trembling. She looked like the same girl he used to tease, used to fight with, used to—
Love.
But all he could see now was betrayal.
He kept his voice cold. “We both know nothing happened last night. So why didn’t you speak up?”
She flinched. He saw it—the flicker of guilt, the hurt in her eyes. And damn him, he still wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms. She made him feel everything at once. Anger. Ache. Desire.
And it was tearing him apart.
“I tried,” she said weakly. “I really did. But my parents wouldn’t listen. And... maybe I didn’t want them to.”
He stared at her, disbelief tightening his features. “So you just let them think I took advantage of you? That I’m some coward trying to escape responsibility?”
Her voice rose. “I don’t know what happened either, Alex! I was drunk! I don’t remember—how would I know if something happened or not? If anyone should feel trapped, shouldn’t it be me?”
He stood, fists clenched at his sides. “What are you saying, Pepper? That I’d lie about something like that? That I’d—what? Pretend nothing happened to protect myself?”
Her eyes dropped.
“If anything had happened,” he said slowly, his voice darkening, “trust me—you wouldn’t be walking right now.”
Her eyes widened at his words. The heat in her cheeks wasn’t just from anger—it was memory. Her mind flashed to the image of his bare chest, the heat of his breath against her neck.
She shook the thought away.
“But… we kissed,” she whispered.
“And now you want me to marry you because of a kiss?”
You did more than kiss me, she wanted to scream.
But she bit her tongue.
“I’m not like those other girls you’ve fooled around with,” she snapped. “My parents saw us in bed. They’ll never see me the same way again. The least you could do is protect me from that shame.”
Alex hesitated. His hand twitched, halfway to reaching for her. But his eyes hardened again.
“Why do you want to marry me so badly?” he asked. “Is this about Lance again? Are you using me to make him jealous?”
Her jaw dropped, eyes wide with hurt.
“That’s a huge accusation.”
“Is it not true?”
“No! Lance is out of the picture! I don’t love him. I—”
She stopped.
Too much, too fast.
He narrowed his eyes. “Say it.”
She looked away.
He laughed bitterly, voice suddenly quiet. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
“Believe what you want,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But one day, you’ll thank me for this.”
“So you are trapping me.”
“Wow. ‘Trapping.’ That’s a big word,” she shot back, stung by how close the accusation came to the truth. “You said you’d take responsibility. What happened to ‘Either way, I’ll stand by you’?”
“I said that because I thought you were being honest. But now—” He shook his head. “I don’t even understand your intentions anymore. When will you stop trying to control my life?”
Her chest ached.
But she lifted her chin.
“When I stop loving you,” she said, voice shaking but steady. “When you no longer mean anything to me.”
She took a step forward.
“But that’s not happening anytime soon.”
For a moment, Alex didn’t move. Then he looked away, voice low. “It still sounds like a lie.”
“I never lied to you!” she snapped. Her hands curled into fists. “So stop whining like a girl. You took advantage of me while I was drunk, didn’t you? Shouldn’t you be the one feeling guilty?”
The room stilled.
Alex’s eyes darkened. “So you remember now?”
She froze.
That question sliced through the air like a knife. His tone was still angry, but his gaze… it searched her, almost desperately. Like he needed an answer—any answer—to make sense of this mess.
“I—” Her voice cracked. “I don’t know what I remember.”
“Should we do a replay?” he asked, voice thick with sarcasm.
And then—before she could speak—he pulled her forward and onto his lap.
“Alex—!”
Her protest was lost as his lips crashed onto hers—rough, desperate, angry.
She gasped.
His hands were firm on her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them. She could feel the tension in his body, every inch of him trembling with restrained fury.
His kiss was fire. All-consuming.
And yet… she kissed him back.
Tears spilled from her eyes as her fingers clutched at his shirt. She poured every ounce of her guilt, her fear, her love into that kiss. She didn’t know how to say sorry in words, so she said it with her touch.
She had broken something in him. And she felt it—every time his lips pressed harder, every time he trembled beneath her.
But then, he pulled away.
His breath was ragged, his eyes wild. But behind that chaos was something else—disgust.
Not at her.
At himself.
“Still using tears, Pepper?” he said bitterly. “Don’t worry. That was the last time I’ll kiss you. The last time I’ll touch you.”
Her heart dropped.
“You want a wedding?” he went on, voice cold. “Fine. I’ll marry you.”
She blinked. “What?”
“But I’ll make sure you regret it. I’ll make you hate me so much, you’ll beg me to set you free. And when that day comes, I’ll walk away. And you’ll be the one left with nothing.”
“No…” she whispered.
He stood, his eyes locked on hers—empty now, like all the love had been stripped away.
And then he turned.
Walked away.
Left her there in silence.
She stood frozen, unable to move. Her hands trembled at her sides. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she sank to the floor, a sob tearing from her throat.
Her chest felt like it would burst from the pain. She could barely breathe. Is this it? Is she losing Alex?
No. She refused to accept that. She wouldn’t let it happen.
Not now.
Not ever.
- Writer
