The night was cold, the air biting against your skin as you stepped out of Jade’s car, slamming the door behind you. The fight had escalated too quickly, words exchanged that neither of you meant, but the sting of them was still fresh. Your heart pounded as you walked down the empty street, trying to put distance between yourself and the pain.

“Don’t follow me,” you muttered under your breath, knowing full well she would.

You heard the car door shut again, and moments later, you felt her presence behind you. Jade was always persistent, but this time, it felt different. You picked up your pace, trying to lose her, but it didn’t take long before she caught up.

When you turned around, ready to yell at her, you froze. Her hands were already moving—quick, precise motions in the language only the two of you shared. “Don’t run away,” she signed, her movements trembling slightly. “I can’t call out your name. Please… don’t run away from me.”

Her watery eyes locked onto yours, filled with a desperate kind of vulnerability that stopped you in your tracks. The fight, the anger, the hurt—it all seemed to dissolve in that moment as her silent plea hung in the air between you.

You stood there, heart aching, torn between the need to hold onto your pride and the overwhelming pull to reach out to her. The world seemed to stand still as you decided what to do next.