LAST FOREVER( Complete ✅️)

Chapter 5: Fragile Hearts and Unexpected Turns

The therapist's office was a safe haven, a place where I could strip away the layers I wore like armor and reveal the raw truth underneath. Dr. Foster's kind eyes met mine as I settled into the comfortable chair. The weight of my thoughts hung heavy in the air, and I knew it was time to face them.

"How have you been since our last session, Sierra?" Dr. Foster's gentle voice cut through the silence.

I took a deep breath, the air feeling heavy in my lungs. "Confused, mostly. There's this guy, Haden. I don't know what I'm doing with him."

Dr. Foster nodded, encouraging me to continue.

"I'm scared," I confessed, my voice trembling. "I'm scared of falling for him and then losing him. I've lost too many people already. I can't go through that pain again."

Dr. Foster leaned forward, her eyes full of empathy. "It sounds like you've built walls around your heart to protect yourself."

I nodded, my eyes welling up with tears. "Yes, I have. But I also don't want to shut myself off completely. It's a constant battle between wanting to feel something real and being terrified of the outcome."

"We can't predict the future, Sierra," Dr. Foster said softly. "But we can work on understanding your fears and finding ways to navigate them."

As the session came to an end, I left the therapist's office with a mix of emotions swirling within me. My heart felt like a fragile thing, easily shattered by the weight of my own insecurities. But as I walked out into the world, a new determination ignited within me.

That evening, I found myself standing outside Haden's apartment building, my heart pounding against my chest. I had made a decision, one that was fueled by a mix of defiance and vulnerability. I couldn't control the future, but I could control my actions. It was time to take charge.

I knocked on Haden's door, my palms sweaty with nerves. He opened it, his eyes widening in surprise as he took in my presence. "Sierra? What are you doing here?"

"I want something casual," I blurted out, my voice surprisingly steady despite the chaos inside me. "No strings attached. Just sex."

Haden's expression shifted, his surprise giving way to a mixture of confusion and something else I couldn't quite decipher. "Sierra, I don't think..."

I cut him off, my determination driving me forward. "I know what I want. I'm not looking for anything serious. I just want to feel something without the fear of losing it."

Haden's gaze held mine for a long moment, his eyes searching for something. "Sierra, I can't..."

I felt a surge of frustration, the rush of emotions overwhelming me. "You can't or you won't?"

He looked torn, his jaw clenched as he struggled to find the right words. "Sierra, it's not that simple."

Anger bubbled within me, a mix of frustration at his hesitation and my own vulnerability. "Why not? Are you afraid you'll lose interest once you get what you want?"

Haden's eyes flashed with a hint of hurt, and for a moment, I saw a crack in his tough exterior. "That's not it, Sierra. It's more complicated than that."

I couldn't hold back my anger any longer. My hand swung out in a sharp slap across his cheek. The sound of the impact echoed in the room, and the shock on Haden's face mirrored the shock in my own heart.

He touched his cheek, his gaze incredulous. "You slapped me?"

I felt a mix of shame and humiliation wash over me. The words that had felt so empowering in my head now felt foolish and impulsive. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Haden shook his head, his expression a mixture of disbelief and something else I couldn't quite place. "Sierra, I can't do this. Not like this."

The weight of my actions settled on my shoulders, a heavy reminder of the vulnerability I had tried to escape. I turned and walked away, my steps heavy with embarrassment and regret.

As I left Haden's apartment building, tears welled up in my eyes, a mixture of frustration and humiliation blurring my vision. I had taken a risk, a leap of faith into the unknown, only to crash and burn in the process. My heart felt exposed, my emotions raw and unfiltered.

In the midst of the chaos, one thing became clear - my journey with Haden was far from over. Whether it led to something serious or remained tangled in a web of complicated emotions, I couldn't predict. But as I walked away from his door, a spark of resilience ignited within me. Nothing lasts forever, but sometimes the scars we bear shape us into something stronger.