The Girl Next Door

32. It Was Time To Focus

Alex's POV

Last night felt like a blur.

Astrid and I ended up on the couch, her curled against me, my arms wrapped tightly around her. She cried for what felt like hours, pouring out everything she'd been holding in.

Her voice trembled as she told me about her mom. About the wrists she'd sliced open. About the sleeping pills she'd swallowed. If her stepdad hadn't intervened, Astrid's mom wouldn't have made it this time.

The weight of her words pressed down on me, and even now, hours later, I couldn't shake it. I kept replaying her story in my mind, imagining how scared she must have been. How helpless she must have felt. It was terrifying.

But I was grateful she'd come to me. That she trusted me enough to let herself break down like that.

I shifted slightly, trying to adjust my stiff neck from sleeping upright, and felt the steady rise and fall of her breathing against me. She was still asleep, her head resting against my chest, her body tucked close to mine.

My heart stuttered as I realized just how close we were.

I've had girlfriends before. Flings, relationships, whatever. But this... this felt different. Astrid felt different.

I looked down at her, and the morning light filtering through the blinds caught her face. Even after crying all night, she looked beautiful. Her lips were soft and red, her lashes impossibly long. Her cheeks were still flushed, her hair a little messy, falling across her face.

Perfect. That was the only word that came to mind.

I reached up, hesitant, and brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. My fingers grazed her cheek, and for a second, I couldn't breathe.

She's perfect. Perfect for me.

But then she stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, groggy but alert, and I froze.

"Alex?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"Sorry," I said quickly. "I didn't mean to wake you."

She blinked a few times, sitting up slightly, and then her gaze softened as if she remembered everything all at once.

"You stayed," she said quietly.

"Of course I stayed."

Her lips twitched, almost a smile but not quite. "Thank you."

I wanted to say something—anything—to lighten the moment, to distract her from the weight of everything she'd been carrying. But all I could do was sit there, caught in the intensity of her gaze.

"You don't have to thank me," I finally said, my voice low. "I'm always going to be here for you, Astrid."

Her expression wavered, her walls cracking just a little, and in that moment, I knew. I didn't just care about her—I was falling for her. And there was no going back now.

Astrid shifted against me, sitting up and fixing her hair. Even in the morning, after everything, she looked perfect. I tried not to stare, but it was impossible.

She cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "I think I'm gonna go," she said softly before standing up.

I felt the absence of her warmth immediately, but I didn't let it show. Standing as well, I nodded. "Yeah, it's getting late. We should get ready for school."

The clock read 7:30. If we didn't hustle, we'd be cutting it close. I followed her to the door, watching as she reached for the handle. Before she could step outside, I instinctively reached out, my hand gently catching her arm.