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AFTER SABRINA LEFT HIS APARTMENT, jaxon sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the empty space where she had been just moments ago. the finality of their conversation hung in the air like a storm cloud, and even though they had both agreed it was over, a hollow feeling settled deep in his chest.
for weeks, he had fought to keep things together, to convince sabrina that they could make it work. but now that it was truly over, he felt a strange sense of relief, mixed with an ache that he couldn't shake.
maybe it's better this way, he thought, but the words didn't feel real. the exhaustion of trying to repair something that had already broken was overwhelming.
he glanced at his phone, the urge to reach out to someone bubbling up inside him. but instead of texting sabrina, his fingers hovered over lily's name.
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he didn't even think twice. it was easier this way. lily wouldn't ask questions, wouldn't complicate things. and after everything, maybe that's exactly what he needed.
_______________
a few hours later, jaxon found himself outside of lily's apartment. the city lights blurred in the distance, but all he could focus on was the quiet sound of his heart pounding as he waited for her to answer the door.
when lily opened it, she greeted him with a knowing smile. she was dressed casually, but there was something about the way she looked at him—something confident, almost predatory—that made jaxon's pulse quicken.
"hey," she said, stepping aside to let him in. "i had a feeling you'd come around."
jaxon shrugged, not knowing how to respond. he stepped inside, the familiar scent of her apartment washing over him. it felt like stepping back in time, to a version of himself he wasn't sure he wanted to revisit.
"want a drink?" lily asked, walking toward the kitchen.
"yeah, sure," jaxon muttered, running a hand through his hair as he sat down on the couch.
lily returned with two glasses of whiskey, handing him one before sitting beside him, her eyes lingering on his face. "so, how'd it go with her?"
jaxon didn't respond right away, taking a long sip of his drink before leaning back against the couch. "it's over," he said finally, his voice flat.
