Drawn To You (GirlxGirl)

Part 44

Jessie's P.O.V

I reluctantly pulled myself off Allie, my body still warm from what we'd just shared, but my heart heavy with a sadness I couldn't shake.

I tore my gaze away from her beautiful face—God, how well I had gotten to know every inch of it, every freckle, every curve—but it felt like a lie to keep looking at her, knowing what came next.

Except... Allie wasn't the person I thought she was. At least not right now. The Allie I thought I knew was brave, someone who stood up for what she wanted, who didn't let others steer her life. But now? Now she was shrinking back into the person who let fear dictate her choices, the person who let others influence her path.

I couldn't stick around to watch her make that mistake. I couldn't watch her beautiful soul get sucked back into a world that never truly belonged to her. A life she was never meant for.

I picked up my clothes, my hands moving slowly, like my body was as reluctant as my heart to let this moment end. I caught her eyes one last time and gave her a sad smile, then turned and walked out of the room.

Each step away from her felt like another piece of me was breaking, like I was leaving something important behind.

I dressed quickly, pulling on my clothes with trembling hands, running my fingers through my hair as if that could somehow calm the storm inside me.

Once dressed, I sat on the sofa, leaning forward, my elbows resting on my knees, hands clasped together. My mind was racing, replaying everything that had just happened, everything that had led us here.

Had I made a huge mistake by giving in, by sleeping with her one last time? Probably. But at the time, I hadn't cared. I needed to hold her, to feel her close, just one more time. And now that it was over, the ache in my chest was unbearable.

I heard her footsteps enter the living room, soft and hesitant. I glanced up and saw her standing there, dressed again but looking so lost, so nervous.

She didn't say a word. Neither of us did. What more was there to say? Allie had made her choice. She didn't want me. She wanted to go back to the life she had before we met—the safe, predictable life with Mark. And as much as it hurt, I couldn't force her to choose me.

I stood up slowly, walking over to her, careful to keep a little distance between us. If I got too close, I wasn't sure I'd be able to stop myself from reaching for her again, from pulling her in one last time.

Her eyes were red, still filled with tears that she hadn't let fall yet, and I hated it. I hated seeing her like this. I wanted to grab her by the shoulders, tell her to fight for what she truly wanted, to stop choosing the easy way out.

But I could see it in her eyes—she'd already made up her mind. Her head hung low, and I knew she was struggling. I wanted to put my own pain aside, to make this easier for her, even though it was tearing me apart.

I took a slow breath and reached out, placing my hand gently under her chin, tilting her head up so our eyes met. Her tear-filled gaze pierced right through me. I forced a small smile, though it hurt like hell, and softly stroked her cheek with my thumb. I felt her lean into the touch, and it broke my heart all over again.

"You're gonna be okay, Allie," I whispered, my voice barely holding steady. "Just remember what you deserve, okay?"

Her eyes, filled with sadness, looked like they were calling out to me. She reached up, placing her hand on top of mine, and rubbed her cheek into my palm like she was holding on to this last bit of comfort.

For a moment, I thought she might stay. But then, she opened her eyes, and I saw the finality there.

She gently took my hand away from her face, but not before giving it a small, lingering squeeze. She leaned in, giving me one last kiss on the lips. It was soft, tender, and filled with the same sadness that was choking me.

It wasn't a kiss of passion or longing. It was a kiss of goodbye.

"I'm sorry, Jessie," she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of her words.

I didn't respond. I couldn't. I just nodded, forcing another weak smile as I swallowed the lump in my throat.

She looked at me one last time, her eyes shining with unshed tears, and then she tore her gaze away and walked to the door. I didn't watch her leave. I couldn't bear to.

The door clicked shut behind her, and it was like the sound echoed through the apartment, through my entire body. The silence that followed was suffocating. I stood there for a moment, staring at the door, willing myself not to break down. But the second I blinked, the tears came. They fell fast and hard, blurring my vision as I wiped at them, trying to catch my breath.

The apartment felt so empty without her, like a hollow shell of what it had been just an hour ago. The space that had once felt full of possibility now felt cold, lifeless.

My chest ached, the kind of deep, dull ache that didn't go away, no matter how hard I tried to shake it. I sank down onto the sofa, burying my face in my hands as the sobs wracked through me.

And what hurt the most was knowing that it wasn't just her leaving the apartment—it was her leaving my life.

Allie had always been different. She'd found a way to touch parts of me I didn't even know existed. And now, all of that had left the second she closed that door behind her. And I was helpless to stop it.

I sat there, tears streaming down my face, wondering how something so new, something that had barely begun, could hurt so much to lose.