Breaking Alone

Rory POV

The door creaked open, shadows spilling in, and that crash hit sharp and loud outside. My heart jumped, my hands sweaty, and Leo froze, his back stiff against me. “Move,” he whispered, his voice shaky, shoving me back fast. My legs wobbled, my chest tight, and I stumbled, watching him slam the door shut, locking it hard. My breath came quick, my eyes darting to the window red lights gone, shadows still and my stomach twisted, fear sticking close.

Inside, the quiet pressed down, heavy and thick. Leo stood by the door, his hands shaky, his shirt hanging loose. My chest buzzed scared, mad and I stepped closer, my hand brushing his arm. “Leo,” I said, my voice low, wanting him near. He flinched quick and small pulling away like my touch burned, and my heart sank, cold and fast.

“You okay?” I asked, my throat tight, my fingers hovering over his shoulder. He nodded short and jerky his eyes on the floor, not me. My stomach flipped, my chest squeezing, and I tried again, my hand resting light on his back. He stiffened, stepping away slow, his breath fast and shallow. “Talk to me,” I said, my voice cracking, my hands dropping empty.

“Nothing to say,” he mumbled, his voice flat, his head turning just enough to dodge my stare. My chest burned hot and tight and I swallowed hard, watching him shuffle to the couch, his shoulders slumped, his hands twitching in his lap. My legs shook, my heart racing, and I followed, needing him to look at me, to see me.

“Leo,” I said, sharper now, my voice loud in the quiet. “What’s eating you?” My hands clenched, my throat dry, and he flinched again small, quick his eyes flicking up then away fast. My stomach knotted guilt pouring off him and I grabbed his wrist, soft but firm. “Don’t shut me out.”

He pulled free slow, shaky his hand trembling bad, and my chest cracked, raw and sore. “I’m fine,” he said, his voice low and rough, his eyes stuck on the wall. My breath hitched, my hands balling into fists, and I stepped closer, my shadow falling over him.

“You’re not,” I snapped, my voice shaking, my heart pounding loud. “You’re pulling away again.” My throat burned, my legs stiff, and he shrank small, quiet his fingers digging into the couch. My chest buzzed mad, hurt and I grabbed his shirt, pulling him up fast. “Look at me!”

His eyes met mine dark, wet, scared and my heart broke, soft and heavy. “Rory,” he whispered, his voice cracking, his hands shaky on my arms. My breath came fast, my chest tight, and I held him there close, trembling wanting him back.

“Tell me,” I said, my voice low and hard, my fingers tight on his shirt. He shook his head slow, sad his eyes dropping again, and my stomach sank, cold and deep. “Leo, I can’t I can’t keep carrying us!” My voice exploded loud, raw my hands shoving him back, letting go fast.

He stumbled quiet, stiff his back hitting the wall, his breath hitching loud. My chest heaved my throat burning and I paced, my sneakers squeaking, my hands in my hair. “You’re drowning in this Frankie, Mia, whatever and I’m here, fighting alone!” My voice cracked high, shaky and he flinched hard this time his hands curling into fists.

“I’m trying,” he said, his voice small, his eyes wet and red. My heart twisted mad, soft and I stopped, my legs shaky, my chest buzzing loud. “I’m trying, Rory,” he said again, louder, his voice breaking, and my throat closed, tears stinging my eyes.

“Not enough,” I yelled, my voice rough, my hands slamming the table thud loud and sharp. My chest ached raw, tired and I turned, my breath fast, grabbing my jacket from the chair. “I can’t do this watch you fade and carry it all!” My hands shook bad, cold and I stepped to the door, my heart pounding wild, breaking.

“Rory ” he said quick, desperate his hand reaching out, brushing my arm. My breath stopped my chest tight and I froze, just a second wanting to stay, wanting him my fingers on the knob, cold and hard. My throat burned my legs screaming to run and I turned, my eyes on his wet, pleading hesitating, breaking slow.

“I can’t,” I whispered voice cracking my hand twisting the knob slow. His face fell pale, small his hand dropping empty, and my chest split soft, heavy watching him slump against the door as I yanked it open. “I can’t,” I said again louder, shaking storming out fast, my sneakers loud on the stairs, my heart slamming gone, alone.

The night hit cold, dark my breath puffing white, my legs moving quick. My chest buzzed mad, hurt my hands in my pockets, shaking bad still feeling him, still wanting him. I walked fast, far my throat tight, my eyes stinging tears slipping free leaving him, leaving us.

Back home, Leo sank slow, quiet his back sliding down the door, hitting the floor hard. His hands shook cold, empty tears falling fast, wet on his cheeks. My chest echoed hollow, gone and he reached out slow, shaky his fingers grazing the bed sheets still warm where I’d been. His breath hitched loud, broken and he pulled the pillow close tight, desperate pressing it to his face, searching for my scent fading, gone.

Nothing empty, cold and his chest cracked raw, heavy tears soaking the fabric, his hands clutching hard. The bed stretched big, quiet mocking him alone, and his throat burned guilt eating him his sobs soft, shaky filling the room where we’d been. My heart felt it far, aching knowing he was there, breaking without me.

He slumped still, small his back on the door, his hands limp wet, trembling holding the pillow like it’d bring me back. The room pressed dark, heavy and his breath slowed shaky, sad tears drying slow, his eyes red and raw. My chest buzzed missing him, hating him and the quiet grew loud, thick swallowing him whole.

Then a buzz hit sharp, fast his phone on the floor, lighting up the dark. His head snapped up slow, stiff his breath catching quick, his hands shaky reaching, stopping watching it glow bright, mean. My stomach twisted far, cold knowing it wasn’t me, knowing it was trouble Frankie, Mia, something dark.

“Rory ” he whispered voice breaking his fingers hovering over the screen shaky, scared watching it buzz again louder, harder his chest heaving fast. My heart raced somewhere else feeling it, fearing it and he grabbed it slow, cold his thumb trembling, swiping slow.

A voice barked low, rough through the speaker, and his face drained white, still his hands shaking bad dropping the phone loud thud sharp in the quiet. My chest tightened far, raw and he stood fast, clumsy his breath fast stumbling to the window eyes wide, wild peering out dark, empty red lights gone.

Then a creak hit soft, close outside the door. His heart stopped mine too his breath fast his hands cold turning slow stiff watching the knob twist slow, loud click breaking the night. My legs shook far away my chest buzzing wild, scared and he stepped back quiet, trembling eyes locked on the door cracking open shadow spilling in tall, dark cutting the quiet with something sharp and close.