The diner door chimed as Jaxson pushed it open, the sound far too bright for the weight sitting in his chest. The smell of burnt coffee and grease wrapped around him, but his eyes locked onto only one thing.
Brinley.
She sat alone in a corner booth, knees tucked beneath her hoodie, fingers curled tightly around a chipped mug she hadn't touched. Her shoulders were tense, like she was bracing for something she didn't want but expected anyway. When she looked up and saw him, her breath caught.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.
"Brin…" Jaxson said quietly, his voice rough.
She stood so fast the booth scraped against the floor. Her eyes darted toward the door like she might still run. Jaxson stopped a few feet away, forcing himself not to close the distance too fast."I'm not here to make you come back," he said. "I just needed to see you. To know you're okay."
Her jaw tightened. "You shouldn't have come."
"I know," he admitted. "But not knowing where you were… that was worse."Behind him, Brandon lingered near the counter, arms crossed, eyes sharp. He didn't interrupt, but his presence was a reminder , Brinley wasn't alone anymore, whether Jaxson liked it or not.
"You scared us," Brandon said finally.
Brinley's gaze dropped to the floor. "I didn't mean to disappear. I just… didn't know where else to go."Jaxson swallowed hard. "You could've called me."
She laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. "That's exactly why I didn't."
The words landed heavy between them.
"You told me you loved me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And then you pushed me away like it didn't matter. Like I didn't matter."That's not true," Jaxson said quickly , too quickly.
"Then what is?" she asked, finally meeting his eyes. Tears shimmered, but she didn't let them fall. "Because one minute you're my safe place, and the next you're acting like I'm something you're afraid to touch."
He was afraid. And she deserved the truth.
"I am," he admitted. "I'm terrified."Her breath hitched.
"I'm terrified that if I let myself have you, I'll ruin you," he continued. "You're… good. You still see the world with those innocent eyes, and I don't want to be the reason that changes. I don't want to be the man who hurts you."
Tears slipped free then, tracing quiet paths down her cheeks. "You don't get to decide that for me."The words cut deeper than Brandon ever could.
"I didn't run because I don't love you," she said. "I ran because loving you hurts when you keep choosing fear over me."
Jaxson took a step closer, then stopped himself , the hesitation obvious.
"Come home," he said, but there was no certainty in it. Just hope. "Not because things are fixed. Just… because you shouldn't be alone."Brinley hesitated. Her body leaned toward him, but her heart stayed guarded.
"And then what?" she asked.
He didn't lie. "Then I try. I don't promise I won't be scared. I just promise I won't pretend you don't matter."
Brandon cleared his throat. "She comes back on her terms."
Jaxson nodded. "Always " Brinley stepped closer, close enough that Jaxson could feel her warmth, her breath shaking as much as his. For a moment, it looked like she might fall into him.
She didn't.
And he didn't pull her in either.
Instead, his hand rested lightly against her arm , careful, unsure , like touching her too firmly might break something fragile between them. "I'm still hurt," she whispered.
"I know," he said. "And I hate that I'm the reason."
She nodded slowly. "I'll come back. But this… this isn't over."
"I wouldn't want it to be," he said softly.
They walked out of the diner together , not hand in hand, not healed , just close enough to feel the weight of everything they hadn't figured out yet. Love was there.
It just didn't know how to move forward without fear.