Drawn To You (GirlxGirl)

Part 52

Allie's P.O.V

The city streets felt quieter than usual as I drove toward Jessie's apartment, the familiar route lined with memories I couldn't escape.

Every corner I passed reminded me of a moment we'd shared, of nights we'd walked together, talking about everything and nothing. My stomach twisted with a mix of excitement and dread. Today, I was going to tell her the truth.

And I had no idea how she was going to respond.

I'd spent too long avoiding it, hiding from what I really felt, convincing myself it was too late, that she had moved on. But today was different. Even if she shot me down, I needed her to know how I felt.

Casey had offered to drive me, but I needed to do this on my own. I needed to see Jessie face-to-face, to look into her eyes and finally say the words I should have said months ago. To myself, and to her.

But as I pulled up to her building, a strange sense of unease settled over me. The curtains in the windows weren't the same ones I remembered.

I told myself I was being paranoid, but my hands were trembling as I parked the car and made my way up the familiar stone steps to Jessie's apartment block and made my way to her door.

I hesitated for a moment, staring at the number on the door like it was suddenly foreign. My heart raced in my chest, each beat growing louder as I raised my fist to knock.

Three quick taps, just like I always had. I took a step back, exhaling slowly, trying to calm the storm inside me.

I could hear footsteps approaching the door and I couldn't breathe. This was it.

Then, the door creaked open, but instead of Jessie's face, I was met by an older woman—mid-fifties, maybe, with soft gray hair and kind eyes that widened slightly when she saw me standing there.

"Hi, can I help you?" she asked with a polite smile.

For a second, I couldn't process what was happening. I glanced at the number on the door again, convinced I had somehow knocked on the wrong one.

"I—I'm sorry, I'm looking for Jessie" I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

The woman tilted her head, as if thinking for a moment before recognition flickered in her eyes.

"Oh, Jessie. Yes, the lovely young artist who sold me the place. I'm sorry, sweetheart, but she moved out a few days ago."

The ground seemed to shift beneath me. I blinked, trying to comprehend what she was saying. Jessie moved out?

The woman must have seen the confusion on my face because she smiled sympathetically, stepping back to let me glimpse inside. I could see the hall behind her—walls that were once filled with vibrant paintings were now bare, the colours muted, the energy of the place completely changed. Every trace of Jessie was gone.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where she moved to," the woman added gently, noticing my dazed expression. "But I do hope you find her."

I forced a smile, my chest tightening painfully.

"Thank you," I managed to say, turning quickly and walking back out onto the street, my mind spinning.

I stopped in the middle of the street, the cold air biting against my skin as reality began to sink in. My breath formed small clouds in front of me as I stood there, staring at the building that no longer held any trace of the person I had come to find. Jessie had moved out, and I had no idea where she'd gone.

A thousand thoughts swirled through my head. Had she just moved to another apartment in Glasgow? Or had she left the city entirely? Maybe she'd moved in with someone else—someone who made her happy in a way I never could. I didn't know, and the not knowing was unbearable.