CRACKS IN THE HEART
1007 Words
Chapter 15 — Cracks In The Heart
Ashley thought avoiding Devin would make things easier. Safer. But all it had done was create a storm she couldn’t escape from.
And now, she was avoiding William too.
Every time he tried to sit with her at lunch, she found an excuse to move. When he walked her home, she told him Lia was waiting for her. She didn’t want to face him, not when his confession still echoed in her mind. Not when her heart felt split in two.
But the emptier her days became, the more she realized just how much she missed Devin.
The way he would smirk at her clumsy moments. The way he actually listened when she spoke, even when she rambled nervously. The way he softened in little ways when no one else was watching.
She tried to reach out. She texted him first — a simple “Hey, can we talk?” No response. She lingered near his locker, only for him to walk right past her without a word.
By Wednesday, it was like she didn’t exist to him at all.
And that’s when she saw him.
Standing in the courtyard, leaning casually against the wall, talking to none other than Kika.
The girl was laughing at something he said, leaning far too close, twirling her hair like she owned the world. And worst of all? Devin didn’t push her away. He didn’t look annoyed. He didn’t look like the boy who had once blushed at a kiss on the cheek.
He looked comfortable.
Ashley’s stomach twisted so hard she thought she might be sick. She turned and walked away before either of them noticed her, her chest hollow and aching.
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By the end of the day, William found her in the library, her usual hiding spot. She sat curled up at a desk, staring blankly at her untouched notes.
“Ash,” he said softly.
She glanced up, startled. “Will… I’m busy.”
“No, you’re not.” He closed the book in front of her and sat down across the table, his eyes unusually serious. “You’ve been avoiding me too. What’s going on?”
Ashley swallowed hard, fighting the lump in her throat. “I just… I don’t want to drag you into this mess. You were right about Devin. He doesn’t care. And I was stupid to think he did.”
William’s chest tightened at her words. He wanted to tell her she wasn’t stupid, that Devin was the fool for letting her slip away. But when he saw how broken she looked, he knew his feelings weren’t what mattered right now.
He reached across the table, gently taking her hand. “Ash, listen. Forget what I said before, about being jealous. I don’t… I don’t feel that way about you. Not like that.”
Ashley blinked in surprise, her heart twisting. “But you—”
“I was being selfish,” William cut in quickly, his jaw tight. “I hate seeing you hurt, and I thought maybe… maybe if I said how I felt, it would change things. But it won’t. You’re my best friend, Ash. That’s all. And I just want to protect you. That’s it.”
Ashley stared at him, stunned. A part of her was relieved — relieved she wouldn’t have to face the weight of his confession anymore. But another part of her… hurt. Because even if she hadn’t been sure how she felt about William, knowing that door was closed made her feel even more alone.
She forced a smile. “Thanks, Will. That means a lot.”
But as he squeezed her hand and let go, William’s chest burned. He had lied. He wasn’t over her. Not even close.
He just couldn’t stand to see her so shattered.
---
The next morning, the whispers began.
“Did you hear? Devin and Kika are together now.”
“Yeah, they were hanging out after school yesterday. Looked like a date.”
“Figures. She’s the only one who could tame him.”
Ashley’s blood ran cold. She tried to block the voices out, but they followed her everywhere — in the hallways, in the cafeteria, even in class. And every time she caught sight of Devin and Kika talking, the rumors dug deeper into her chest like thorns.
By lunchtime, she couldn’t take it anymore.
She found Devin by the bleachers, alone for once, scrolling through his phone. Her heart pounded as she walked up to him, her hands trembling.
“Devin,” she said, her voice shaking.
He looked up at her, his expression unreadable. “What do you want?”
Ashley flinched. His voice was cold, sharper than she had ever heard it before.
“I… I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “For avoiding you. For being hostile. I didn’t mean it. I was just—” She hesitated, her throat tight. “I was scared. Scared of how I felt. Scared of ruining things. But I never wanted to hurt you.”
Devin’s eyes flickered, just for a moment, like he wanted to say something. But then he looked away. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and stood.
And without a word, he walked past her.
Ashley stood frozen, her apology hanging uselessly in the air. She had expected him to be angry, maybe even yell at her. But silence? Silence cut deeper than anything.
Her eyes stung as she watched his retreating figure. She had lost him. She could feel it.
And worse — she had no one to blame but herself.
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That night, Ashley lay awake staring at her ceiling, the words she hadn’t said burning in her chest. She had wanted to tell him she cared. That she missed him. That she hadn’t stopped thinking about him since their date.
But now, she wondered if she had waited too long.
Because maybe Devin Park was already slipping away.
And maybe Kika was there to catch him.
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- Writer
