The road felt longer than it ever had before.
Or maybe…it was just my hesitation slowing me down.
Each step I took toward him felt like I was crossing a line—
one I had promised myself I would never cross again.
The wind was cold.
Or maybe it was just me.
My hands trembled—
not from fear alone,
but from the weight of everything I was about to face.
What if I'm too late?
What if I'm not needed?
What if… I shouldn't be there at all?
But none of those questions stopped me.
Because some part of me—
selfish, desperate, unhealed—
kept whispering:
Go to him.
…
And then—
I saw him.
Sitting there,
like a shadow of the person I once knew.
Head down.
Shoulders heavy.
Silence wrapped around him
like it had claimed him completely.
For a moment—
I couldn't move.
This wasn't the boy I loved.
This was someone broken.
Someone lost.
And suddenly…
all my thoughts disappeared.
Not the guilt.
Not the fear.
Not even the question of right or wrong.
Just one thing remained—
HIM.
Slowly, I walked closer.
Each step softer than the last,
as if I was afraid
he might disappear
if I made too much noise.
I stopped beside him.
Close enough to reach—
but still unsure if I should.
My heart screamed,
Hold him.
My mind whispered,
Don't.
And for the first time—
I didn't listen to my mind.
…
My hand moved on its own.
Shaking.
Hesitant.
But certain.
And then—
I touched him.
He didn't move.
But he didn't pull away either.
For a second—
it felt like the world paused around us,
like even the wind was waiting
to see what would happen next.
My fingers barely rested against him,
light… uncertain…
as if I was touching something fragile—
something that might shatter
if I held on too tightly.
His breath faltered.
I felt it before I saw it.
A small break—
almost unnoticeable,
but enough to tell me…
he knew I was there.
"…"
I wanted to say his name.
God, I wanted to.
But it stayed trapped
somewhere between my heart and my throat—
too heavy to carry,
too fragile to release.
So I stayed quiet.
Because maybe…
silence understood him better
than words ever could.
Slowly—
his shoulders shifted.
Not much.
Just enough to break
that unbearable stillness.
And then—
his hand moved.
Not away from mine…
but over it.
Warm.
Unsteady.
Real.
My breath caught.
That single touch—
it wasn't strong,
it wasn't desperate,
it wasn't even certain…
But it was enough.
Enough to tell me
he hadn't pushed me away.
Enough to tell me
I hadn't come too late.
Enough to tell me…
somewhere, deep inside him—
he was still there.
And that was all it took.
My chest tightened,
not with pain—
but with something far more dangerous.
Hope.
Soft.
Foolish.
Uninvited.
But alive.
I tightened my fingers slightly—
not to hold him back,
not to claim him…
But just to say—
I'm here.
And this time…
I didn't run.
For a while—
neither of us moved.
His hand still resting over mine,
like he didn't have the strength to hold on…
but didn't have the heart to let go either.
And then—
it happened.
A small tremor.
Barely there.
But I felt it.
His fingers tightened—
not strong…
just enough to break something inside me.
And suddenly—
his shoulders shook.
Once.
Twice.
And then—
he broke.