Drawn To You (GirlxGirl)

Part 53

Allie's P.O.V

The car stopped on the street, the engine's hum cutting off abruptly as both Casey and Allie turned to look at me. The weight of the moment pressed down on me, and for a long time, none of us moved.

"Come on, you've got this," Casey said finally, her voice gentle but insistent.

I swallowed hard, my pulse racing as I slowly unclipped my seatbelt. My hand hesitated on the door handle, the cold metal biting into my palm as I took a deep breath.

The car door creaked open, and I stepped out onto the street. The cold air hit me like a slap, sharp and biting, making me pull my jacket tighter around myself.

My feet felt heavy as I walked toward Jessie's studio, every step echoing louder in my mind. What if she wasn't there? What if this was just another dead end? I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, faster with each second.

I reached the door, my breath visible in the air, and raised my hand to push the door open. But something stopped me. The studio was in darkness. No light spilled from the windows, no sounds of Jessie's music playing softly in the background.

I pressed my face to the glass, cupping my hands around my eyes to peer inside. The studio looked different. It was still Jessie's space, but emptier somehow. The canvases were scattered around like always, but there were no brushes or paint pallets lying carelessly on the tables, the energy was different.

The paintings that usually hung on the walls were missing, some of the furniture was gone, and the warmth that once filled the room had dimmed, leaving behind a strange sense of abandonment.

My heart sank.

The door was locked. A deep sadness washed over me and I placed my hand on the cool glass. It was as if I were reaching out to Jessie one last time, silently hoping she might reach back and pull me in, hold me, make everything okay.

But the studio, like her apartment, showed no sign of her. She wasn't here. She wasn't anywhere near me. And with every second that passed, it felt like the opportunity to tell her how I felt was slipping further and further away, becoming something I might never get to do.

I let my hand drop from the glass, a sigh escaping my lips. The sound was small, lost in the stillness of the street. It felt like defeat.

Turning slowly, I began to walk back toward the car, my head hanging low, my mind spinning, wondering where she might be. Who she might be with.

As I neared the car, footsteps on the pavement behind me brought me to a stop. A voice called out softly, hesitant but familiar.

"Allie?"

I froze, the sound of my name pulling me back from the fog of my thoughts. Slowly, I turned around to see Liam walking toward me, his hands shoved into his pockets, his face cautious.

"Liam, hey," I said, forcing a small smile.

My stomach twisted nervously. If Liam was here, it meant Jessie might not be far behind him. The thought sent a fresh wave of anxiety coursing through me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice careful, as if he was bracing himself for something he wasn't sure he wanted to hear.

I could tell he remembered the when I walked away from Jessie, how it had left her shattered.

"I, um..." I paused, the words sticking in my throat. I swallowed hard, then forced them out. "I came to see Jessie. I need to tell her something."

Liam raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly, as if weighing my words, trying to understand my intentions. But he didn't say anything, waiting for me to explain.