He reached toward me. I shook my head hard and turned to run again.
"Please," he called after me. "Just listen for a second. Then I swear I'll leave. I won't come back if you don't want me to. Just let me say this."
I stopped moving. The wind moved through the trees while I stood there in silence with uneven breathing and my body locked in place.
I did not nod and I did not say yes. But I did not walk away either. For now, I let him speak.
Chapter 3: Cracked Walls
"I'm sorry," Ellis said, and the words came immediately without hesitation, as if they had been sitting at the edge of his mouth since the moment he broke me.
He looked exhausted. His face had lost color, his eyes were swollen from crying, and his shirt was buttoned unevenly. He smelled like cold coffee and regret.
"I'm so damn sorry, April. For what I said and for what I did. It doesn't matter that I was drunk because I never should have said any of it. I never should have..." He dragged a hand through his hair and looked down. "God. I can't believe I said the sex was the worst. I can't believe I let you hear that."
I stood there without moving.
But you did say it.
You meant enough of it for the words to come out. Maybe not all of it, but enough. Enough for them to stay with me forever.
He took a step closer, only one, and while my face stayed still, my heart did not. It struck hard against my chest.
"I messed up," he continued. "I've messed up a lot of things in my life, but what I did to you and what I said to you was the worst thing I've ever done."
You didn't just hurt me, Ellis. You humiliated me. You took something sacred between us and put it in front of everyone.
"I know I don't deserve forgiveness and I don't expect you to give it to me, but please..." His voice cracked. "Say something. Anything."
I looked at him, and it took everything in me not to scream.
I can't.
I literally can't.
He stared at me for a moment, and I watched the realization settle across his face.
"Oh." The word barely left his mouth. "You told me." His voice shook. "You told me about your voice. About the silence."
His expression changed, and I saw the exact moment understanding hit him.
"It's because of me, isn't it?" he whispered. "I did this to you."
I looked away.
You didn't do this.
But you made it worse.You took something fragile and private and shattered it with words you could never take back.
He stumbled backward as if my silence had physically hit him.
"I broke you."
No, you didn't break me. You just proved I was never whole to begin with.
I turned and started to leave.
"Please wait."
