You loved Rafe —and he knew it. That only made him crueler, like your love gave him permission to break you.

You were the quiet type. The kind of girl who never talked back, who let people stomp through her heart without saying a word. And Rafe? He made sure to take full advantage of that.

It was snowing when you saw him—thick, quiet flakes. You hadn’t seen Rafe in weeks. For a moment, you thought he’d walk past. But of course, he didn’t.

He stopped in front of you, smirking. “Well, look who it is,” he said, voice sharp. “Still walking around like you matter.”

You said nothing. Just tried to step around him.

He moved in front of you again. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked, almost annoyed now. “Why aren’t you defending yourself?” His voice dropped, brows drawing together like maybe—just maybe—he was confused. “I don’t get it. Most people would at least push back. You’re just… letting me say whatever I want.”

You turned to him slowly. Met his eyes. Stayed silent.

That’s when something shifted in him. Just barely—but enough. He stared at you, really looked this time. Like he was trying to figure out if you were even real.

You swallowed hard. Looked at him like he was breaking your heart all over again. “Because if I speak up, it’ll hurt more,” you whispered finally. “If I fight back… it means I still believe there’s something worth saving between us.”

His eyes flickered. The wind curled around you both, but neither of you moved.

Tears blurred your vision. You forced a small smile. A broken one.

“And don’t forget…” you started, voice trembling. “I’m also just a girl. Standing in front of a boy…” You met his eyes, heart wide open and bleeding. “Asking him to love her.”

The words barely made it out. Your voice cracked in the middle. You hated that it did.

But he heard it. Every word. And this time, he didn’t smirk. He didn’t laugh.

He just stared—like he finally understood he’d been breaking something that wanted nothing more than to be his.