What breaks, what remains

Jalen’s POV

The branches in the woods scratched against my arms softly as I pushed through the darkness, calling her name over and over until my throat burned.

“Fiona!”

I screamed as loud as I could, straining my ears to hear her respond but she never did. No answer.

Only the whisper of leaves and my own pulse thundering in my ears but I kept moving, I told myself I would find her even if it meant dying in the thick forest. I ran faster, and deeper, not minding the darkness that swallowed me.

Then I heard a faint cry from a distance.

My heart stopped and restarted painfully in my chest as I turned toward the sound.

“Fiona!”

This time I didn’t wait for a response. I followed the direction of the sobs, stumbling over roots and rocks, my heart pounding faster until I saw her.

Curled up in her own arms on the ground, trembling, crying into her hands as the world had ended. I've never seen her that frightened yet brave enough to sit in there for so long. I blamed myself for making her go through all of this.

For a second, I couldn’t move, she didn’t look up.

The sight of her like that tore something inside me so violently I felt physically sick.

I rushed to her and dropped to my knees.

“Fiona…” I called and she finally looked up at me with swollen eyes, and the moment she recognized me, she broke down even harder.

I pulled her into my arms, a little too close, holding her so tight that she would disappear if I loosened my grip. My hand smoothed her hair for as long as I was conscious of my movement.

“I’m here,” I whispered against her hair. “I’m here bunny, I'm never leaving you alone.”

She sobbed into my chest, her fingers clutching my shirt desperately like I was the only thing keeping her from falling apart.

I planted kisses on her forehead over and over again before pulling her back into an even tighter hug.

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice shaking. “I’m so sorry. I should have defended you. I should have stood up for you. I should have been there when they attacked you. I failed you Fiona, I'm sorry I was a coward, I couldn't even protect you, but it will never repeat itself,”

Her cries softened into painful breaths, but her body remained tense in my arms.

“I promised to protect you from now on,” I continued. “And I didn’t. I let you go through all of this alone. I will never forgive myself for that.”

She pulled away from me suddenly.

Her eyes went cold like a burning rage.

“Don’t,” she snapped and I froze.

“Don’t pretend now, I don't need your protection now, you didn’t give it to me when i needed it so bad in school, when everyone turned against me and called me all sorts of names, even when i begged for it at your office door—you didn’t give it to me and now you want to be here? ” she said, her voice trembling but firm. “Don’t act like you care after abandoning me when I needed you the most.”

Each word hit me hard like a slap, but my face remained calm as I gazed at her.

“I came to your office, Jalen," she continued, tears spilling again. “I begged you to talk to me. I begged you. And you ignored me like I was nothing.”

I opened my mouth to explain myself but words failed me, my mouth hung halfway, I had no defense.

I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that I did everything to keep her safe.

“You watched me suffer, Jalen,” she said. “You watched me fall apart and you did nothing.”

“I thought I was protecting you,” I finally whispered weakly.

“Well you weren’t!” she cried. “You hurt me more than everyone else.”

Silence fell between us except for her uneven breathing.

Then she said the words I feared most.

“I need space.”

My chest tightened with the grip of my hands—balled into a fist beside me.

“I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep loving someone who disappears when things get hard. Someone who claimed to love me but can’t defend me.”

I nodded slowly, even though it felt like my insides were being torn apart. I let out a heavy sigh before parting my lips.

“If that’s what you need, then I respect your decision. I want you to be happy, to be yourself again, to be that enthusiastic, young and vibrant fiona I fell so deeply in love with” I said quietly, “so I’ll respect it. If it makes you happy and peaceful again.”

Her lips trembled. “We’re done, Jalen.”

I closed my eyes for a second.

Then I nodded again.

“We’re done, hmm” I repeated, even though every part of me wanted to beg her not to say it. “But at least let me help you out of here, I just wanna hold you close one last time. Please," I pleaded and she nodded in response.

I helped her to her feet gently.

She looked exhausted.

Without asking, I lifted her into my arms, she didn’t protest, she just rested her head against my shoulder, I could tell she was too tired, and with every step I took out of that woods, I burned with rage and hate for the bitch I called a wife.

I carried her out of the woods like I was carrying something fragile that had already been broken too many times.

When we got back to Paris’s apartment, Harry and his wife rushed toward us.

Her mother gasped. “Fiona!” she didn’t respond.

I carefully set her down until she stood on her own.

Paris approached her slowly, tears already running down her face.

“Fiona, I’m so sorry,” she said. “I betrayed you. I didn’t believe you when you needed me to. I didn’t know jude would do such a thing, I’m sorry.”

Fiona looked at her for a long moment.

There was no anger in her eyes anymore.

Just exhaustion.

“You knew Paris, you knew what he was capable of, I told you everything, I confided in you as my friend, and you chose to hurt me, I trusted you.” she paused. “I’m not ready to forgive you,” she said quietly. “I need time.”

Paris nodded quickly. “I understand. I’ll wait. However long it takes.”

Fiona didn’t respond.

She walked past her.

Straight to her parents’ car.

Her father opened the door for her silently, his face covered with concern for the first time in the longest while.

She entered the car without looking back, not even a glance at me.

The door shut.

And that was it.

I stood there long after the car drove away.

My hands felt empty.

Like I had just lost something I could never get back.

Paris wiped her face beside me. “I didn’t know Jude did that,” she whispered.

I nodded once, but I couldn’t speak.

I got into my car and drove home in silence.

Fiona’s POV

The ride home was quiet, too quiet than I expected because ever since I was born, I have never seen my parents so quiet and understanding of the situation before, it felt strange but I needed it. They didn’t ask questions, they didn’t scold me, they didn’t say anything at all, and that scares and calms me in a way that I couldn't explain, that scared me more than shouting would have.

When we got home, my mother gently touched my shoulder. “Go and rest.”

I nodded and went straight to my room. I locked the door behind me.

And the moment I was alone, I broke down.

I slid to the floor and cried until my chest hurt.

I cried for everything, mostly for Jalen, I never thought there would be a day I would ever break up with him but even after everything, my heart still ached for him.

And I hated myself for that.

I crawled into my bed without changing my clothes.

Tears soaked my pillow as sleep finally dragged me into darkness.