You stood there, arms wrapped around yourself like they were the only thing holding you together. Rafe was pacing, fists clenching and unclenching, jaw tight. The tension between you could have snapped a wire.

Rafe: “I’m trying,” he growled, his voice breaking mid-sentence. “I’m trying to be better for you. I’m doing everything I can!”

You shook your head, laughing bitterly through your tears. You: “You’re trying?” you repeated, your voice rising. “Rafe, you think saying that fixes it?”

He stopped moving, staring at you with those wild, broken eyes. Rafe: “I don’t know what else you want from me!” he shouted, his voice raw. “You say you love me, but you won’t even give me a chance!”

Your chest heaved with the effort of keeping yourself together. You: “A chance? After everything you’ve done? You destroyed me, Rafe!”

He stepped closer, and you flinched without meaning to. He froze, pain flashing across his face. Rafe: “You’re never gonna trust me,” he said, his voice hollow now.

You stared at him, heart pounding. You: “Trust you?” Your voice cracked, but you forced the words out like knives. You: “You think I should trust you?”

He looked down, breathing heavily, before meeting your eyes again — pleading, broken. Rafe: “I’m not that guy anymore.”

You shook your head, feeling the tears fall faster. You: “You’re always going to be that guy. No matter how many times you say sorry.”

For a moment, Rafe didn’t say anything. He just stood there, breathing hard, looking at you like you were already slipping away and he was too powerless to stop it.

Rafe: “I love you more than anything,” he said, voice wrecked. “But maybe that’s not enough for you.”

You wanted to scream. You wanted to hit him. You wanted to run into his arms and never let go. But you stayed rooted to the spot, shaking, broken, silent.

And Rafe? Rafe just stood there, letting you go without even trying to pull you back — because maybe for once, he knew he didn’t deserve to.