We Shall Meet Again

Part 11

Sabrina stood in front of Xavier, her heart pounding in her chest like a drum, each beat echoing her desperation. The tension in his face was palpable, a taut mask of conflict, with his jaw clenched and his eyes stormy like a brewing tempest. Her resolve, which had felt so unwavering just that morning, now wavered slightly beneath the weight of his gaze, but she pressed on. She had to know the truth.

"Xavier, we need to talk," she repeated, her voice softer this time, laced with the tremors of her anxiety but no less determined.

Xavier's gaze flickered away from her, his expression shifting to one of frustration. "There's nothing to talk about," he muttered, his voice low but sharp as a blade. He pushed past her, his shoulders tense, as if he was carrying the weight of the world on them.

Sabrina's heart sank, despair pooling in her stomach. She couldn't let him leave like this, not again, not without trying to reach him. With a surge of desperation, she reached out and grabbed his arm, her fingers wrapping around his forearm as if she could anchor him in place. "Please, Xavier, just stop," she pleaded, her voice catching in her throat, raw with emotion.

But he turned on her, his expression a tempest of frustration and something darker, something that scared her. "Let go, Sabrina," he said coldly, his tone carrying an unmistakable warning. "I'm not doing this with you."

"No!" she shouted, her grip tightening despite his resistance. "You don't get to just walk away like this. Not after everything. You—"

In a swift motion, Xavier yanked his arm out of her grasp, the force of it pushing Sabrina off balance. She stumbled backward, her arms flailing as she fought to catch herself against the unforgiving hard surface of the wall behind her.

But just as she was about to fall, Xavier reacted without thinking. His hands shot out, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back toward him with a fierce urgency. For a split second, their bodies were pressed together, his grip firm and protective, his warmth enveloping her as he steadied her. Sabrina's breath caught in her throat, and she looked up at him, wide-eyed, the world around them fading into a blur.

Xavier was just as stunned, his face mere inches from hers, the heat of their bodies mingling in the space between them. The anger that had flared just moments ago evaporated, replaced by something else—something tender, raw, and achingly vulnerable. They stood frozen in that moment, neither of them daring to move, the air between them thick with unspoken emotions.

Sabrina could feel his breath against her skin, his hands still gripping her waist tightly, as though he was terrified of losing her. And in that charged silence, everything seemed to shift. The anger, the confusion, the frustration—it all faded away, replaced by a quiet understanding that neither of them had the words for.

"Xavier," Sabrina whispered, her voice trembling slightly, raw with unexpressed feelings. "Why do you keep running away?"

His eyes searched hers, an internal storm brewing beneath the surface, the turmoil evident in the flicker of emotions that played across his face. For a moment, it looked as though he might open up, let down his guard, and let her in, revealing the raw truth of what lay beneath his steely facade.

But just as quickly, his gaze hardened, a shutter falling over his eyes, the vulnerability vanishing like mist in the morning sun. He took a small step back, and Sabrina's heart plummeted as her hand fell from his chest, the warmth between them dissipating into the cold air of the hallway.

"Sabrina..." he started, his voice low and hoarse, each word weighted with something she couldn't quite grasp. He shook his head, glancing away as if avoiding the gravity of the moment. "I can't do this."

The finality in his tone struck her like a physical blow,  before she could express the tumult of feelings swirling within her, he turned and began to walk away. His footsteps echoed in the empty hallway, a sound that reverberated through her chest like a mournful drum, marking the finality of his departure.

Sabrina's chest tightened, a suffocating sensation enveloping her as she watched him retreat. The world around her faded into a blur, the colors of the hallway dimming, as if the universe was shrinking down to just the two of them in that moment. She wanted to call out to him, to beg him to stop, but the words caught in her throat like shards of glass, cutting at her resolve.