The night air was still, the quiet broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves and the distant hum of traffic. You’d just closed the door on what felt like the final chapter of a long, turbulent relationship. The pain of it was still fresh, but you knew this was what had to be done. Simon had chosen his work time and again, putting you second to a world you couldn’t reach.

But as you looked through the window, you saw him—sitting on your porch stairs, head bowed, his broad shoulders hunched, hands clenched tightly together. Even in the dim light, you could see the glint of angry tears in his eyes, frustration and sorrow mixed in a way that left him looking uncharacteristically vulnerable.

You hesitated, unsure if you should go out there. But something drew you forward, the love that lingered in the cracks of your broken heart pulling you to him one last time. Quietly, you opened the door and stepped onto the porch, taking a seat beside him.

For a moment, neither of you said anything. The silence hung between you, thick with unspoken words and unfinished business. He didn’t look at you, his gaze fixed somewhere in the distance, jaw clenched tight as he tried to rein in the emotions spilling over.

Finally, he broke the silence, his voice rough. “Do you think I wanted this?” he murmured, his words filled with raw anger, but also something softer—regret. “Do you think I wanted to push you away? I didn’t know… I didn’t know it would come to this.”

He turned toward you, his face softened but still etched with pain. “I don’t want to lose you,” he said quietly, the words barely a whisper. “Please… don’t let this be the end. I’ll… I’ll try. I’ll make more time, just… don’t walk away.”

The rawness in his voice, the vulnerability he rarely let show, made it impossible not to feel your heart breaking all over again.