LAST FOREVER( Complete ✅️)

Chapter 11: BROKEN

I found myself standing outside Haden's apartment once again. The memories of our tumultuous encounters and the secrets that had come between us weighed heavily on my mind, but the pull to understand him, to bridge the gap that had formed, was stronger than ever.

With a determined breath, I raised my hand and knocked on the door. The moments that followed felt like an eternity, the anticipation and uncertainty swirling within me. And then, finally, the door creaked open, revealing Haden's familiar figure.

"Sierra," he said, his voice a mixture of surprise and something else I couldn't quite decipher.

I met his gaze, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions that raged within me. "Haden, we need to talk."

He hesitated, his eyes searching mine as if trying to decipher the truth behind my words. And then, with a sigh, he stepped aside, allowing me to enter.

The apartment was bathed in a soft, dim light, a tranquil ambiance that stood in contrast to the intensity of our unspoken emotions. I turned to face him, my voice a whisper amidst the weight of our history.

"Haden, I want to understand. Everything. Your past, your secrets."

He looked at me, his expression guarded, as if battling the urge to push me away once again. "Sierra, you don't know what you're asking for."

I took a step closer, our proximity igniting a spark of electricity that seemed to charge the air around us. "Then show me. Let me in, Haden."

He seemed torn, a war between vulnerability and resistance waging within his gaze. And then, with a mixture of resignation and something deeper, he spoke.

"Fine. But you have to understand, it's not pretty."

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest as he led me to a small table. He reached for an old, weathered photo album, the pages filled with images that spoke of a past he had never shared with me.

"These are my family," he said, his voice heavy with emotion. "Before everything fell apart."

As I looked at the faces captured within the photographs, a sense of empathy welled within me. Haden's past was a tapestry of pain and struggles, a reminder that the walls he had erected were not without reason.

"And this is Dylan," he said, his voice softer as he turned the page to reveal a picture of a young boy with a mischievous grin.

I met his gaze, a question forming in my eyes. "Your little brother?"

Haden nodded, his gaze lingering on the photograph. "I've been trying to protect him, to keep him away from the chaos."

I reached out, my fingers brushing against his hand in a gesture of understanding. "Haden, you don't have to carry this burden alone."

His eyes met mine, vulnerability and longing mingling within their depths. And then, in a move that felt like gravity pulling us together, he leaned in, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that was both passionate and desperate.

The world around us faded into the background, leaving only the intensity of that moment. Our hearts beat as one, a rhythm of longing and unspoken desires. And as we pulled away, the air was charged with a new kind of tension, a connection that had been simmering beneath the surface all along.

But just as quickly as the moment had ignited, Haden pulled away, his expression a mixture of conflict and regret. "Sierra, I can't."

I reached out, my fingers brushing against his cheek, my voice a plea. "Haden, I want to be here for you. No matter what you're hiding, I want to know. I want to understand."

He looked at me, a mixture of yearning and fear in his eyes. And then, with a deep breath, he spoke, his voice laced with a vulnerability that sent shivers down my spine.

"Meet me tomorrow. Sunset. The bridge by the river."

And with those words hanging in the air, our unspoken desires and the promise of revelations to come, I left Haden's apartment, the suspense of what lay ahead leaving me on the edge of anticipation.

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The sun was descending beyond the horizon, casting hues of gold and crimson across the sky as I stood on the bridge by the river, waiting for Haden. The anticipation was a knot of nerves and excitement in my stomach, but when he finally appeared, the sight that greeted me was anything but expected.

Haden's face bore a fresh bruise on his right eye, the harsh reality of his world etched onto his skin. His posture was tense, his gaze guarded as he approached me. There was a heaviness in the air, a tension that hung between us like a fragile thread.

"Sierra," he said, his voice rough.

I took a step closer, my concern overriding the confusion that swirled within me. "Haden, what happened?"

He hesitated, his gaze meeting mine with a mixture of regret and something else I couldn't quite decipher. "It doesn't matter."

My heart ached at the pain in his eyes, the weight of his struggles and secrets that had now manifested in a visible way. But before I could say anything, his voice cut through the air, a declaration that felt like a blow to my chest.

"I'm leaving."

The words hung between us like a heavy fog, the weight of their meaning settling within me. I looked at him, my voice shaky as I tried to comprehend. "Leaving? For how long?"

He shrugged, a sense of resignation in his gesture. "I don't know. A while. Maybe longer."

My heart raced, the world around me spinning as the reality of his words sank in. "Why, Haden? What's going on?"

He looked away, his jaw clenched, the tension in his body a reflection of the turmoil within. "It's complicated, Sierra. Too complicated."

Anger and frustration bubbled within me, a storm of emotions that demanded release. "So, what? You're just going to leave? After everything?"

Haden's gaze met mine, his expression pained. "I don't want you to get hurt, Sierra. I can't stay and keep dragging you into this mess."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips, a mixture of regret and anger filling the air. "Dragging me in? I let you in, Haden. I knew nothing lasts forever, but I still let myself care about you."

He looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of regret and conflict. "I'm sorry, Sierra. For everything."

Tears welled in my eyes, a whirlwind of emotions threatening to engulf me. "You don't get to apologize and walk away, Haden. You don't get to decide what's best for me."

And with that, I turned on my heel, storming off the bridge and leaving him behind. The intensity of our encounter, the suddenness of his departure, left me feeling like I had been thrown into a maelstrom of emotions.

As I walked away, the tears streamed down my face, a mixture of anger, regret, and heartache burning within me. The realization hit me like a tidal wave - that despite all my efforts to protect myself, I had let Haden in, and now, he was slipping away, leaving nothing but fractured bonds and unforeseen goodbyes in his wake.

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