It was eerily quiet in your room. You still hadn’t quite gotten used to the silence that came with being alone. You were stuck with only your thoughts to keep you company, and those drifted too frequently to thoughts of your ex, Rafe.

You sat up straight in your bed, as you heard the sound of the front door creaking open. You shake your head, telling yourself that you’re hearing things. But then you hear the unmistakable squeak of the stairs followed by footsteps. You’re reaching for your phone, about to call 911, when your door swings open and Rafe walks in.

He’s illuminated by the faint light from the hallway, and you think how heartbreakingly beautiful he is. He heaves out a relieved sigh when his eyes land on you. He quickly closes the space between you, kneeling in front of you.

“There’s my girl” He murmurs, gazing up at you. You wonder if he can tell that you’ve been crying. Wonder if he would know that every tear you’d shed that night has been for him. That your heart still beat only for him, even months after your breakup.

Sniffling, you meet his gaze. Those blue eyes piercing your soul. “Rafe” his name falls shakily from your lips.

“I’m here, baby” he reaches up and tugs a piece of your hair behind your ear “I’m right here”

Rafe exhales a heavy sigh as he examines your face, like he’s committing every feature to memory. “These eyes haunt me,” he brushes his thumb across your cheekbone, his touch gentle, almost reverent. “And this” he reaches up and cups your cheek in his large hand, his fingers brushing against your soft skin. “This face. This crazy, beautiful face. It haunts my dreams every night”

He had no idea how badly you had needed to hear those words. How long you had waited to feel his touch again. Tears spring to your eyes again. It was too much. You were overwhelmed with the fear that you were dreaming. That this moment wasn’t real. The two of you had torn each other apart at the end of your relationship. Even now, amidst his beautiful words, the pain of the past hung heavy.