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The Breaking Point

last update Last Updated: 2025-07-15 00:12:17

Alli’s POV

Her thumb hovered over the message thread like it was radioactive.

She should’ve deleted it.

Left Layla on read. Or ignored her entirely. But curiosity mixed with morbid dread kept her staring at the screen until her stomach twisted into knots.

She tapped back into the conversation.

Layla:

I’m not here to fight you.

I just want to make sure you understand what really happened.

Because Johnny doesn’t even understand it himself.

Can we talk?

Alli didn’t answer.

Didn’t move.

Just stared, teeth sinking into her lip until the taste of blood caught her tongue.

Then came the next one.

The one that blew the air right out of her lungs.

Layla:

I’m pregnant.

Alli’s heart stopped.

Literally stopped.

She blinked.

Read it again.

No.

No way.

Layla was lying. Manipulating. Stirring the pot like she always did. But even as the denial surged, something in her gut said—

This is real.

Layla didn’t even give her time to respond before she sent another.

Layla:

I wasn’t going to tell anyone. Not
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  • After Hours   The Breaking Point

    Alli’s POVHer thumb hovered over the message thread like it was radioactive.She should’ve deleted it.Left Layla on read. Or ignored her entirely. But curiosity mixed with morbid dread kept her staring at the screen until her stomach twisted into knots.She tapped back into the conversation.Layla:I’m not here to fight you.I just want to make sure you understand what really happened.Because Johnny doesn’t even understand it himself.Can we talk?Alli didn’t answer.Didn’t move.Just stared, teeth sinking into her lip until the taste of blood caught her tongue.Then came the next one.The one that blew the air right out of her lungs.Layla:I’m pregnant.Alli’s heart stopped.Literally stopped.She blinked.Read it again.No.No way.Layla was lying. Manipulating. Stirring the pot like she always did. But even as the denial surged, something in her gut said—This is real.Layla didn’t even give her time to respond before she sent another.Layla:I wasn’t going to tell anyone. Not

  • After Hours   The Unraveling

    Alli’s POVLena’s apartment smelled like lavender and popcorn.It was clean in the way only a single girl’s place could be—succulents on the windowsill, throw blankets artfully tossed over a plush gray couch, the faint buzz of a true crime podcast coming from the Bluetooth speaker.Alli stood in the middle of the living room with her bag still in her hand, her body vibrating like a tuning fork someone forgot to stop.Lena didn’t press her. She just handed over a cold bottle of Topo Chico and motioned toward the couch.They sat in silence.Alli stared at the condensation slipping down the glass. Her throat burned.“You can say it,” Lena said finally, soft but steady. “Whatever it is. You’re safe now.”Alli looked at her best friend. Eyes too kind. Lips pressed together like she already knew.So Alli broke.“I kissed him.”It came out hoarse.“I kissed him, Lena. And he kissed me back like he meant it. Like it was the first honest thing he’s ever done. And I believed him. I believed eve

  • After Hours   Out of Sight

    Alli’s POVThe suitcase creaked as she unzipped it.It was the same floral one she used for senior beach trip, still with sand in the corners and an old CVS receipt for tanning oil crumpled in the pocket. She hadn’t planned on needing it again so soon.But here she was. 10:02 a.m. on a Saturday. Not even twenty-four hours after that kiss. And she couldn’t stay here another minute.She folded a hoodie and shoved it into the bag with more force than necessary.Her phone buzzed again.Johnny.8 Messages.4 Missed Calls.She didn’t open them.She couldn’t.The image of his arm around Layla was burned behind her eyelids—like a brand. Her stomach twisted every time she blinked.And the comments?She couldn’t stop hearing them in her head.“It’s finally out in the open.”“Real love comes back around.”“Should’ve been them all along.”Alli felt like a background character in someone else’s romance. Disposable. Unseen.She jammed jeans into the bag. Then a few tank tops. Then her toothbrush.S

  • After Hours   Ghosted by Fire

    Alli’s POVThe moment the door closed behind Johnny, her body forgot how to stand.She slid down the wall like the air had been sucked from her lungs.Her lips were still swollen. Her heart was still pounding.And her hands? They wouldn’t stop shaking.That kiss had unmade her.It was slow, sinful, and full of fire. His mouth on hers, his hands on her waist, her leg wrapped around his hip—God, it was everything she’d been trying not to want.And then he left.Told her to think.Told her to decide what this was.Now she sat alone, curled on the couch in the quiet of her apartment, too aware of the way he’d looked at her like she was his future.And maybe for a second, she believed it.Until morning came.She didn’t remember falling asleep.But she woke up tangled in her blanket, one sock missing, her phone half-dead and buzzing beside her.9:18 AM.Jules 💅:You okay??Tell me you didn’t see her post yet.I’m gonna scream.Alli blinked hard and sat up.Her stomach flipped.She didn’t w

  • After Hours   The Kiss That Changes Everything

    Alli’s POVThe door clicked shut behind him, soft and final.Johnny stood there just inside her apartment, the tension in his shoulders shifting—not gone, but looser. Different. Like maybe he could finally exhale.Alli didn’t say a word.She couldn’t.Her heart was still lodged somewhere between her chest and her throat, choking her with every heavy beat.He’d just blocked Layla. Right in front of her. No hesitation.And now he stood there, in her space, eyes locked on hers like there was no one else in the world.“You don’t have to say anything,” he murmured, stepping closer. “I just needed…”His voice faded, rough and unfinished.But his eyes?His eyes said the rest.She swallowed hard. “You just needed what?”His hand came up—hesitating for a second—then brushed a piece of hair back from her cheek. His fingers lingered there, warm and calloused, and she swore she stopped breathing.“This,” he said. “I needed this.”And then he kissed her.Not soft.Not tentative.He kissed her like

  • After Hours   The Knock That Counts

    Johnny's POVHe should’ve stayed at the shop.Finished the brake job on the Tacoma. Grabbed a burger. Hit the gym. Literally anything but this.But no.He found himself behind the wheel, turning onto her street like his truck knew the way better than he did.The last time he was here, it had been silent. Quick. He'd walked her up the steps, helped her inside, and didn’t ask to stay. He hadn't earned it.Now? He didn’t know what he was expecting.The door to swing open.A slap.Maybe silence.Maybe tears.Alli hadn’t answered a single one of his messages since the post.But she’d read them.He knew she had.That little “read” receipt sat there like a time bomb.Seen at 12:43 PM.Now it was almost five.Still nothing.His boots hit the sidewalk hard. His jacket smelled like oil and stale coffee. His stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots.He knocked once.Twice.He heard the shuffle of movement inside.Then silence.Then, the click of the deadbolt turning.The door opened.Alli

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