My Ex - Crush

Episode 29

Deepika's POV:

The loud bang of the car door slamming shut snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts.

What the fuck just happened?

My heart pounded in my chest, the sound of it deafening in the silence of the car. I could barely catch my breath, the shock and adrenaline coursing through me, making my hands tremble as I fumbled with the water bottle.

I twisted the cap off with shaky hands, gulping down the cool water in a desperate attempt to steady myself.

I cranked up the AC, the cool air blasting against my flushed skin, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside me.

I glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing Arjun standing behind the car, his broad shoulders rising and falling as he struggled to catch his breath. His hands gripped the edge of the trunk, his knuckles white, as if he was holding on for dear life.

This is embarrassing. So damn embarrassing.

How could I let this happen? How could I let my stupid crush take over me like that?

I slumped back against the seat, covering my face with my hands. What should I do now? How could I ever look him in the eye again?

I had practically thrown myself at him, and the worst part was that I wanted him to do it. I wanted him to kiss me, to let all this tension between us finally explode. But he didn't. He walked out the moment I touched his hand. Why did he leave? Was he just not interested? Maybe I had read everything wrong.

Maybe I was just a fool who thought there was something more when he clearly didn't feel the same way.

I groaned inwardly, scolding myself for being so reckless, so stupid. I had ruined everything.

Suddenly, the car door opened, and Arjun slid back into the driver's seat, his movements controlled, deliberate.

His expression was calm, too calm, as if he had composed himself, shut off whatever had been happening between us just minutes ago.

He started the car without a word, the engine purring softly as he pulled back onto the road. The silence between us was thick, suffocating, the tension still lingering in the air like a ghost of what almost was.

I couldn't help it-my eyes kept drifting to him. The strong line of his jaw, the way his fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly, the slight movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. And his lips-God, those lips that had been so close to mine, the memory of their almost kiss burning in my mind.

I felt a strange pull, an ache deep inside me that made it impossible to look away. Why did he stop? Why didn't he kiss me? I felt the weight of his rejection settle in my chest, squeezing painfully.

But more than the rejection, it was the confusion that tore at me. I wanted him, but did he want me? Or was I just deluding myself? Maybe I wasn't enough for him. Maybe I never had been.

The insecurity gnawed at me, a sharp, biting pain that I couldn't ignore. I had always known I wasn't perfect. I wasn't the kind of girl guys like Arjun fell for.

He could have anyone-smart, beautiful, confident. What did I have to offer?

I bit my lip, torn between anger at myself and the inexplicable urge to reach out to him again. It was the fucking hormones, I told myself. Estrogen and progesterone messing with my head.

My mind was a whirlwind of emotions, each one crashing into the next, leaving me more confused than ever. I wanted to ask him, scream at him,

Why, Arjun? Why did you stop?