FATE & ATTRACTION

Chapter 8: Shattered Echoes

LEXIE'S POV:

The relentless knocking on the door echoed through my room, each rap reverberating through my chest. The battle within me waged on – a storm of conflicting emotions, doubts, and fears. Renee's persistent attempts to break through the fortress I had built around myself intensified the turmoil.

As the voices in my head grew louder, the weight of my actions bore down on me, and the tears began to flow uncontrollably. The echoes of my cruelty to Renee reverberated, tearing through the remnants of my shattered resolve. The self-loathing became too much to bear, and the insistent urge to find solace in pain overcame me.

In the bathroom, I searched for the familiar blade, the metallic glint reflecting the desperation in my eyes. The first cut sent a shock of pain through me, momentarily silencing the cacophony within. As I watched the blood pour down, the physical pain became a temporary refuge from the emotional torment. I sat on the bathroom floor crying a few more minutes, the knocking pulling me out of my thoughts.

I threw on a hoodie to conceal the evidence of my weakness, a feeble attempt to maintain some semblance of control. Peering through the peephole of the door, I saw Renee's silhouette, her worry etched in the lines of her face. The war within me waged on, but a brief respite had been found.

After a moment of hesitant contemplation, I decided to open the door. The tears had stopped, and I felt a strange mix of relief and dread. Renee burst into the room, enveloping me in a tight hug that left me breathless. As she pulled away, she moved to the couch, her eyes fixed on me expectantly.

**RENEE:** *WHAT THE HELL, LEXIE? I'VE BEEN KNOCKING FOR AGES!*

My eyes met hers, and the torrent of emotions that had been building within me threatened to spill over. Renee's voice rose, a mix of anger and frustration evident in her tone.

**RENEE:** *I'M TIRED OF BEING PUSHED AWAY. I CARE ABOUT YOU, LEXIE. YOU CAN'T JUST SHUT ME OUT LIKE THIS. I KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG. TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON PLEASE.*

Her words struck a chord, a painful reminder of the walls I had built. The panic attack I had tried to stave off hit me with full force, my chest tightening with every breath. Renee's anger dissolved into concern as I crumbled before her.

I broke down in her arms, gasping for air between sobs. The facade I had carefully constructed shattered, leaving me vulnerable and exposed. Renee's anger transformed into a tender embrace, her soothing words a lifeline in the tempest of my panic attack.

**RENEE:** *It's going to be okay baby. Please breathe for me. I'm here for you

With a gentleness that belied her earlier frustration, Renee guided me to the bed. We lay there, the weight of the conversation hanging in the air. As my breathing steadied, Renee whispered comforting words, the echoes of her care slowly mending the fractures within.

**RENEE:** *We'll talk tomorrow, Lexie. But for now, just rest.*

Her words were a promise, a flicker of hope in the darkness that had consumed me. In the warmth of her arms, we drifted into a restless sleep, the echoes of a broken connection slowly giving way to the possibility of healing.