Never Date a Genius

Chapter 38: Letting Go

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The porch light spilled a warm glow over the steps, but the air between them felt heavy. Sophie stood with her arms folded loosely, not out of defiance, but because her chest felt tight and uncertain.

Jason lingered by the gate, shifting his weight like he couldn't quite convince himself to leave. He knew what the end of the day meant. He had tried to to lighten the mood after his heated confession when they got inside his jeep. They'd already said goodnight twice, first with a joke about her obsession with science fiction, then with a comment about her music taste but the real goodbye still hung there, unspoken.

"You know," he began, voice low, "I'm always good with words. But now, I feel so lost."

Sophie blinked and glanced at his sad face, her heart clenched at how he seem to be breaking.

"I meant every word I said. I liked you a lot," he said his voice cracking with emotion. "But it feels like you've already made your choice."

Sophie looked at him, uncertain what to say. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know," he said sadly. His tone shifted, quieter now. "I wanted you to be happy and I hope he makes you happy."

He looked at her earnestly, his eyes glistening, "You deserve to be happy, Soph. Remember, it's not always fire. Sometimes, there is happiness in calmness."

For a moment, they stood there beneath the golden porch light, the silence stretching thin between them. Jason's eyes searched hers, wrestling with something unspoken, a storm brewing behind his gaze.

"You know Mason calls you 'G'," he said finally. "I did it once, remember?"

She nodded, the weight of that name heavy in the air.

"It sounded different when I said it," he murmured, almost to himself. "Like it wasn't really mine to say. Guess that's because it isn't."

He smiled, but it was a fragile thing too thin to hide the crack in it.

Jason took a slow breath, then stepped back. "Goodbye, G."

It came out softer than Mason's version, careful and lingering, leaving a part of himself in the word. As he turned to walk away, a suffocating doubt settled in his chest. Was this really the right choice? Each step felt like a betrayal, a surrender.

Halfway down the road, he stopped, heart racing. What if he'd fought for her harder?

With a desperate glance over his shoulder, he saw her still standing under the porch light, unmoving, her expression unreadable. The sight twisted something deep within him, a raw ache that made it hard to breathe. Regret washed over him, a tidal wave of doubt.

Was he really doing the right thing by letting her go? A deep fear gripped him. Would she be happier with Mason? And did that mean he wasn't enough? The thought felt like a dagger, piercing through all his bravado.

He forced himself to turn away, but the questions echoed in his mind: Did he truly want her to be happy, even if it meant losing her? How much of himself was he willing to sacrifice for her happiness?

As he walked into the night, every step felt like a painful reminder of what he was leaving behind. Had he just made the biggest mistake of his life?

The darkness swallowed him, but the light from her porch remained burned into his mind, a haunting reminder of what he could have fought for. Each heartbeat echoed with the weight of his decision, and he feared he might never forgive himself for letting her slip away.

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