Second Love [Completed]

12. She left me

Hi to all I'm back with new Chapter...
Hope, you'll love reading it!  :)

New Cover by GraceSClarke

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Adrian's P.O.V.

Last night was hell. I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Susan's face—her tears, her shattered expression as she turned away from me. When she left for Aspen, I told myself to give her space. But the silence was suffocating, clawing at me with every passing second. I checked my phone constantly, scrolling through our past messages, reading and rereading them as if they could somehow bring her back. I typed out texts—long apologies, desperate explanations—only to delete them before hitting send. Instead, I let my guilt fester, twisting into something unbearable. And that unbearable weight drove me straight into the worst mistake of my life.

Sia called, saying she wanted to hang out. I agreed, thinking it was just a distraction. Just noise to drown out the emptiness Susan left behind. Even at the bar, I couldn't stop myself. I kept checking my phone, opening Instagram to see if she was active, hoping she had posted something—anything—that would give me an excuse to reach out. I hovered over the message button, typing out different variations of 'I'm sorry' before deleting them all. What would I even say that could fix this?

Every time my phone buzzed, my heart leapt, thinking maybe it was her. But it never was. Just empty notifications that meant nothing. I kept stalking her profile, searching for a sign that she was okay, that she was thinking about me too. But there was nothing. Just the same old photos, the same silence that was eating me alive. And now, I had shattered that world. I almost called her, but I stopped myself. I wanted to respect her space.

Instead, I let myself fall deeper into my own destruction.

Sia had forgotten her phone at her place, so she had been using mine to take pictures throughout the evening. I barely paid attention, distracted by my own thoughts, lost in the constant battle between reaching out to Susan and giving her space. Then, out of nowhere, she leaned in and kissed me. Before I could even process what was happening, I heard the artificial click of a camera shutter.

I jerked away instantly, my stomach twisting. "What the hell, Sia?" My voice was sharp, laced with disbelief and anger.

She gave a small, careless shrug. "Relax, Adrian. It was just a kiss. You seriously need to loosen up."

Loosen up? My pulse pounded in my ears as I took a step back. "Are you kidding me? You took a picture?" My voice was rising, panic creeping into my chest.

Sia rolled her eyes. "It's nothing. No one will even see it."

But it wasn't nothing. It was everything. The weight of it crushed me. I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. This was a mistake—a massive, irreversible mistake.

Without another word, I drove her home, the silence between us thick and uncomfortable. As soon as she stepped out of the car, I gripped the steering wheel, trying to convince myself that this wasn't as bad as it seemed. But I knew better.

A kiss. A stupid, reckless kiss that could cost me everything.

The next day, I was a wreck. My body felt heavy, my head pounding, but none of that compared to the ache in my chest. I hadn't heard from Susan. Not a single call. Not a single message. I spent the entire morning staring at my phone, my fingers hovering over her name, willing her to respond. Every time my screen lit up, my heart jumped, only to sink seconds later when I realized it wasn't her.

By the time evening rolled around, I was exhausted from doing nothing but thinking about her. Then, Sia showed up at my door with drinks, a concerned look on her face. "You look like hell, Ade," she said, stepping inside before I could protest. "Listen, about the other night... I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you, especially when you're going through all this."