NO MORE RUNNING
970 Words
Lily barely slept.
Even after she had shut the door to her apartment, after she had kicked off her heels and curled beneath her blankets, the night still clung to her. The feeling of Alex’s hands on her waist, the heat of his breath against her lips, the way his voice had wrapped around her like something warm, something safe.
She turned onto her side, staring at the faint glow of the city lights filtering through her curtains. Her body still hummed with the remnants of his touch, but it wasn’t just that. It was the way he had looked at her, the patience in his voice when he told her they didn’t have to figure everything out tonight.
She wasn’t used to that.
With Julian, everything had felt like a test. Like she had to prove she was enough—enough to be loved, enough to be wanted, enough to be chosen. But with Alex, it felt different. He wasn’t asking for anything. He wasn’t waiting for her to give him a reason to stay. He was just there.
And maybe that was scarier than anything else.
With a frustrated sigh, Lily sat up, pushing her hair back from her face. The apartment was silent, save for the faint hum of traffic outside. She considered calling Alex, texting him maybe, but what would she even say?
I can’t stop thinking about you?
I’m scared of what this means?
I don’t know how to let myself want this without being afraid?
She ran her hands over her face, groaning softly. No. She wouldn’t text him. Not tonight.
Instead, she stood, padding toward the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. The cold liquid did little to ease the restlessness coiling inside her, but she forced herself to take slow sips, to breathe, to remind herself that she wasn’t the same girl who had been left behind.
She had changed.
And maybe… maybe she was allowed to want something new.
As she set the glass down, a soft vibration from her phone caught her attention. Her heart lurched as she reached for it, half-hoping, half-dreading.
Alex: Couldn’t sleep either.
Alex: You okay?
Lily stared at the screen, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. A small, tired smile tugged at her lips.
Lily: Yeah. You?
The response came almost immediately.
Alex: Not even close.
She bit her lip, warmth unfurling in her chest. Before she could overthink it, she typed back.
Lily: Want to come over?
A pause. Then—
Alex: On my way.
Lily’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the last message. On my way.
She set her phone down, exhaling a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She had been so certain she wasn’t going to text him, that she was going to sit with her thoughts and let them sort themselves out. But when his name lit up her screen, all of that restraint crumbled.
Because the truth was, she did want to see him. And she was tired of pretending otherwise.
She glanced around her apartment, nerves creeping up on her. Should she change? Fix her hair? Make it look like she hadn’t spent the last hour tossing and turning, thinking about him?
Relax, she told herself, pressing her hands against the counter to steady her breath. It’s just Alex.
But that wasn’t really true anymore, was it?
A knock at the door made her jump.
Lily swallowed hard, smoothing a hand over her tank top before walking over. When she pulled the door open, Alex stood there, one hand in the pocket of his hoodie, his dark hair slightly tousled like he had run his hands through it a dozen times.
He looked at her for a long moment, his gaze searching. “Hey,” he said softly.
Lily’s chest tightened. “Hey.”
They stood there for a beat, neither moving, neither speaking, just feeling—the charged air between them, the quiet understanding, the unspoken questions neither of them had answers to yet.
Then, without thinking, Lily reached for his hand, curling her fingers around his wrist and tugging him inside. She shut the door behind him, locking them away from the rest of the world, and suddenly, the apartment felt smaller. Warmer.
Alex didn’t say anything, just watched her. He had always been able to read her too easily, see past the layers she tried so hard to hide behind.
“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, his voice a low murmur.
Lily shook her head. “You?”
He let out a quiet chuckle. “Not even close.”
She nodded, hugging her arms to herself. “Do you… want something to drink?”
Alex studied her, then stepped closer. “No,” he said simply. “I just want to be here.”
Her breath hitched.
It was so simple. No pressure, no expectation—just this.
And maybe that was why she took a step forward, closing the space between them. Maybe that was why she reached up, fingers grazing the collar of his hoodie, grounding herself in the warmth of him.
Alex inhaled sharply at the contact, his hands hovering at her waist, as if waiting for permission.
“Lily…”
She didn’t let him finish.
Instead, she pressed her lips to his in a slow, tentative kiss, letting herself fall into it, letting herself feel it without fear. And when Alex kissed her back, his hands settling on her hips, pulling her closer, it wasn’t desperate or hurried.
It was steady. Certain.
Like he had been waiting for this.
Like she had been waiting for this, too.
Lily wasn’t sure what tomorrow would bring. She wasn’t sure what it meant yet.
But for once, she wasn’t going to run from it.
Not this time.
- Writer
