close to my dialling heart

66🌹tears and temptations

🎶we'd always go into it blindly. I needed to lose you to find me. This dancing was killing me softly. I needed to hate you to love me, yeah🎶
~Selena Gomez~
DOVE 🕊

I sat on my bed, the dim glow of the night casting shadows across the room, my gaze fixed on the packed luggage Nana had brought in earlier. She told me I was leaving tomorrow, that she'd already collected all my things from college. The weight of it all settled deep inside me, a mix of devotion, hurt, and an unbearable tightness in my chest. Tears streamed down my face, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop them. It felt like everything was crumbling around me.

When I finally stood, my legs felt shaky beneath me. I stumbled to the bathroom, hoping the cold water would calm me. But once I reached the sink, I collapsed, letting the sobs take over again. The reflection in the mirror was blurred by tears. I sat on the cold tiles for what felt like an eternity, the silence around me amplifying the storm inside. How was I still here, still standing after everything?

Yet somehow, I survived.

I dragged myself back to my room, the weight of everything pressing on me like a thick fog. But the moment I stepped inside, I froze. There, leaning casually against the window, was Xavier. My heart lurched in my chest, my breath catching in my throat. How had he even gotten here? I hadn't heard a single sound, and Nana was still awake somewhere downstairs.

Fear and relief flooded through me in equal measure. Terrified of what this could mean, but so happy to see him standing there, like a shadow in the night. Without thinking, I shut the door behind me and turned the lock, my hand trembling slightly as it clicked into place.

I wanted to throw myself into his arms, to feel the safety and warmth that only he could offer, but I stopped myself, unsure if I even had the strength left. My body screamed for comfort, for him, but my mind told me to keep it together, to not fall apart in front of him.

His eyes darkened with concern as he took me in-pale, worn from crying, my eyes swollen and red. He stepped toward me, his gaze softening in a way only I ever saw. "You look terrible," he muttered, his voice low but filled with worry.

"I'm fine," I lied, forcing a weak smile that didn't quite reach my eyes.

I pulled away from him, taking a shaky step back. "How did you get here?" I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. "You shouldn't be here, Xavier. It's over... Nana's sending me away. We-we're done."

His eyes narrowed, a cold smile tugging at the corner of his lips. That familiar darkness-the one I'd tried to forget-flashed behind his gaze. He stepped closer, his presence filling the room, making it feel smaller, like there was nowhere to hide. "Over?" he scoffed, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous growl. "You think some locked doors and a plane ticket can keep me away from you?"

I flinched, his words slicing through the air, sharp and chilling. There was something so terrifyingly certain about the way he said it, like it wasn't just a promise-it was a threat. My heart pounded in my chest, and I couldn't look away from him, even though every instinct screamed for me to run.

But maybe, deep down, that was exactly what I needed to hear. The intensity in his words, the way he claimed me like I was something he could never let go-it sent a shiver down my spine. Still, I swallowed hard and forced myself to stand firm. "Xavier, you need to leave. You can't be here," I insisted, my voice faltering as I tried to hold onto some sense of control.

He didn't move back. Instead, he stepped closer, his body so close I could feel the heat radiating off him. His hand reached out, fingertips brushing lightly against the side of my neck, trailing down to the hollow of my collarbone. The touch was so gentle, so intimate, that it sent a jolt of sensation through me. I shuddered, my breath catching in my throat as my body betrayed me, reacting to him despite everything.