Chapter Ten:The Distance Between Us
344 Words
Hailey didn’t sleep much.
Again.
She kept replaying that moment — the weight of his hands on her waist, the soft pull of gravity between them, and the way her heart wanted that kiss more than she was ready to admit.
But she’d pulled back.
And now… everything felt different.
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The next morning, the community center felt colder.
Maybe it was the weather.
Maybe it was him.
Maybe it was her.
She walked in with her usual half-smile, armed with sarcasm and a to-do list. But the second she saw him—Chase, already busy untangling lights, not looking up—she felt it.
The distance.
He glanced her way, gave a nod. No smile. No playful line. Just... distance.
She hated it more than she expected to.
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They worked side-by-side in silence. No teasing. No accidental touches. No stolen glances. It was worse than a fight.
At one point, their hands brushed while sorting through flyers. Hailey pulled hers back like it was burned.
Chase noticed. Of course he did.
“You don’t have to act like I did something wrong,” he finally said.
“I’m not.”
“You flinched like I set you on fire.”
She looked up. “You almost did.”
That stopped him. His eyes searched hers again, but she looked away first this time.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered.
“Do what?” His voice was low. Tired.
“This... almost. This whatever we’re doing. It’s confusing.”
“It’s not confusing to me.”
She shook her head. “It is to me. And I don’t want to mess up something that’s finally quiet in my life.”
Chase didn’t reply. Just stepped back. Just enough for her to feel the loss.
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They finished the prep in silence. Again.
But this time, it didn’t feel calm.
It felt like a goodbye.
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That night, as Hailey stood at her window with a cup of tea, staring into the rain, she whispered:
“I should’ve kissed him.”
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- Writer
