SLMO (Girl X Girl - Actually? Intersex :))

The Return & The Last

Alexis's POV

Fourteen sunrises since the night that shattered everything. The memory of Kate's warmth against my back, the echo of her whispered goodbyes, still haunts my sleep.

A dull ache throbbed in my chest, a constant reminder of the gaping wound I'd carved into both our hearts. Kim. The thought of her sent a fresh wave of nausea crashing over me. Soon, she'd return to Cupertino, blissfully unaware of the storm that raged within me.

But how could I face her? How could I look into those familiar eyes, once sparkling with love and trust, and confess the betrayal that burned in my throat? The words seemed to stick, a tangled mess that choked any apology I tried to form.

The weight of guilt settled on my shoulders, a suffocating cloak that threatened to steal the air from my lungs. I was the reason for the tragic fracture in our relationship, the reason for Kim's coming heartbreak. Every beat of my heart hammered against my ribs, a relentless drumbeat of shame.

The city lights blurred outside the window, a million tiny diamonds mocking my misery. Here I was, curled on the cold floor, the ache in my chest a monstrous weight that threatened to crush me. Every normal sound, every distant laugh, felt like a cruel joke.

Maybe a plane ticket back to Cambridge was the answer. Back to Grandma's warm embrace, back to a time before heartbreak stained everything a dull gray. A time before Kim.

But the thought of Kim... the very idea of seeing rejection bloom in those radiant eyes... it was a fresh wave of agony. Sarah's call, a chirp that felt more like a death knell, confirmed my fears. Tonight was the night. Tonight, I'd face the woman who haunted my very breath.

Sarah: "Witch, today is the celebration of return and the deal they closed with an anonymous client. Don't you like... to see her?"

'The witches,' as we called each other, knew the whole wretched story. Their shoulders were a constant source of damp tears, their presence a balm that barely soothed the storm raging inside me.

Every day since that night with Kate had been a relentless downpour, even when the sun shone. My eyes, it seemed, were perpetually leaking the rain of my heartbreak.

What could I say? How could I face her after shattering the trust she'd placed so beautifully in my hands? A million questions swirled in my head, a hurricane with no clear path. But I had to be strong. I owed Kim that much.

Pulling myself together, I steeled my nerves for the coming storm. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I arrived at Luxe Vista. The grand hall was a cavern of hushed whispers, the silence thick enough to choke on. Then, the spotlight pierced the darkness, illuminating the stage. My breath hitched. There she was, bathed in light, the woman who'd stolen my heart. My pulse hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs, a drumbeat echoing the chaos within. As she spoke, her voice a melody both familiar and heartbreakingly distant, my world tilted on its axis.

The air hung heavy in the vast hall, thick with hushed whispers and the anticipation that crackled like static on my skin. Kim. There she was, transformed into this... this stranger with the same breathtaking voice.

"Good evening," she began, her voice laced with a tremor that mirrored the violent trembling in my own limbs. "This song," she continued, a ghost of a smile flitting across her lips, a smile that held more sorrow than sunshine, "is for my little bunny."

The words hit me like a physical blow. Little bunny. Her term of endearment whispered in stolen moments, echoed back in this cavernous hall, meant for a hundred ears but piercing only mine. Tears welled in my eyes, hot and stinging, blurring the scene before me. A choked sob escaped my lips, a strangled apology that died unheard. "Kim," I rasped, the name; a prayer on my lips, "I'm so sorry..."