S A R A H

I fold another shirt, carefully smoothing out the fabric before placing it in my suitcase. My hands shake, betraying the whirlwind of emotions I'm trying to suppress. The thought of leaving twists my stomach into knots, but I can't stay.

I won't let myself stay.

Leelo's voice echoes in my mind from earlier, his tone a mix of pleading and exasperation.

"You can't just leave like this, Sarah. He wants you to stay, to work with us."

I had shaken my head, avoiding his gaze. "I can't, Leelo. This isn't about work anymore."

He sighed. "Look, I don't know what happened between you two, but Noah isn't just asking out of obligation. He needs you here."

"Then he'll have to learn to do without me," I had replied firmly, though my voice wavered at the end.

The truth is, I don't trust myself around Noah. He's too much. Too intense, too consuming.

Every moment with him feels like I'm walking a tightrope, one wrong step away from falling into something I can't escape.

I zip up the suitcase, the sound cutting through the silence of my room. My heart pounds as I glance around, the walls and furniture now feeling foreign, like I don't belong here anymore.

A knock at the door startles me, and I freeze.

"Sarah?"

His voice. Deep and hesitant.

I take a shaky breath, clenching my fists. "I'm busy."

"I need to talk to you," he says, and his tone that makes my chest ache.

"Noah, please. Just let me pack."

The door creaks open slightly, and I whip around to see him standing there, his face a mix of determination and desperation.

"You're really leaving," he says softly, his eyes scanning the packed suitcase on my bed.

"Yes," I reply, my voice clipped. "It's for the best."

"For who?" he asks, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him.

"For me," I say firmly, though my voice trembles.

He takes a step closer, his presence filling the room. "Sarah, you can't just run away from this. From us."

"There is no us, Noah," I snap, my anger bubbling to the surface. "There never was. I'm your housemaid, nothing more."

His jaw tightens, his hands clenching at his sides. "Don't do that. Don't reduce what happened between us to a job description."

I look away, my chest tightening. "It was a mistake."

He flinches as if I've slapped him, his expression crumbling before he regains control. "A mistake?" he repeats, his voice low and filled with disbelief.

"Yes," I say, forcing the word out even as it tears at me. "Whatever happened, it doesn't change anything. You're you, and I'm... I'm just me. This can't work."

He moves closer, his voice soft but insistent. "Why not? Tell me why not, Sarah."

I meet his gaze, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. "Because I've seen what happens to people like me when they fall for people like you."

His brows knit together in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"My mother," I whisper, my voice breaking. "She spent her whole life chasing after someone like you. Someone who made promises he couldn't keep. Someone who tore her apart piece by piece until there was nothing left."

"Sarah," he starts, his voice pained, but I hold up a hand to stop him.

"I won't end up like her, Noah. I can't."

He steps closer, his hand reaching out as if to touch me, but he hesitates. "I'm not him, Sarah. I'm not going to hurt you."

"You already have," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

The words hang in the air between us, heavy and suffocating.

His shoulders slump, and he looks down, his voice cracking. "Is that really how you feel? That I've hurt you?"

I swallow hard, forcing myself to stay strong. "What I feel doesn't matter. None of this matters. Please, Noah, just... pretend it didn't happen."

His head snaps up, his eyes wide and filled with pain. "You want me to pretend that kiss meant nothing? That you mean nothing?"

I nod, even though it feels like my heart is being ripped out of my chest. "Yes."

He stares at me, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggles to process my words. "Fine," he says finally, his voice cold and distant. "If that's what you want."

I nod again, unable to speak.

He turns on his heel and leaves the room, cursing something. The sound reverberates through the silence, and I collapse onto the bed, burying my face in my hands.

A few minutes later, I hear the distant sound of a car horn. My taxi.

I grab my suitcase and head downstairs, keeping my head down as I pass through the now-bustling kitchen. The cooks and cleaners are back, their chatter filling the air.

As I step outside, I glance back at the house one last time. Noah isn't there, and I tell myself it's better this way.

The taxi driver loads my suitcase into the trunk, and I slide into the back seat, my hands trembling as I grip my bag.

"Where to?" the driver asks.

"Lotus Apartment, Bluebuck Hills," I whisper, my voice breaking.

As the car pulls away, I force myself not to look back.

But no matter how far I go, I can't escape the lingering warmth of his touch or the way his voice sounded when he said my name.

The vibration of my phone in my pocket feels like a cruel reminder of what I've left behind. It hasn't stopped since I got into the taxi.

Noah keeps calling, one call after another, and when it's not him, it's Leelo. I glance at the screen as it lights up again.

Noah.

My heart clenches. I silence the call, forcing myself to look out the window instead. The city blurs past me, each street sign and passing car a reminder of how far I'm trying to run. But even as the distance between us grows, his voice echoes in my mind, raw and filled with disbelief.

"You mean nothing?"

I close my eyes, leaning my head against the window. I shouldn't have said it, but what choice did I have?

The phone buzzes again. This time, it's Leelo. I sigh, gripping the device tightly, resisting the urge to answer. I know what he'd say, how he'd try to convince me to come back, to give Noah a chance. But I can't.

When we pull up to my apartment, I pay the driver, thanking him quietly before stepping out. The familiar sight of the small, slightly worn building brings a strange sense of comfort.

Home.

I lug my suitcase up the lift, my legs feeling like lead with every step. When I reach the door, I fumble with my keys, my hands trembling as I push it open.

The smell of lavender from an old diffuser I forgot to turn off greets me, and for the first time all day, I feel like I can breathe. The silence wraps around me like a protective shield

But it doesn't last.

I sit on my couch, my phone still in my hand. Another missed call from Noah. Another voicemail from Leelo. My chest tightens as tears blur my vision. I don't want to hear his voice. I don't want to be reminded of the look on his face when I told him to forget.

I bite my lip, scrolling through my contacts until I find the one name that feels like a lifeline, Ryan.

My hands tremble as I press the call button. The phone rings once, twice, before his familiar voice answers.

"Sarah?" he says, his tone instantly concerned.

I try to speak, but the words catch in my throat. All I can manage is a broken sob.

"Sarah, what's wrong?" he asks, his voice sharper now, panic creeping in. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"No," I choke out, shaking my head even though he can't see me. "I'm... I'm home... I just..."

I can't finish the sentence. The tears spill over, and I bury my face in my hands, my body shaking with each sob.

"Stay there," he says firmly. "I'm coming over."

"Ryan, you don't have to-"

"I'm coming," he interrupts, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

The line goes dead, and I drop the phone onto the bed, curling up into a ball.

The weight of everything crashes over me, the kiss, the way Noah looked at me, the fear that I'm falling into the same trap my mother did. My chest tightens, and it feels like I can't breathe.

When a knock sounds at the door, I jump, my heart racing. I scramble to my feet, wiping at my face as I hurry to open it.

Ryan stands there, his hair slightly disheveled from the rush, his eyes scanning me with genuine worry.

"Sarah," he says softly, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "What happened?"

The moment I see him, something inside me snaps. I throw my arms around him, burying my face in his chest as the tears start again.

"Hey, hey," he murmurs, wrapping his arms around me protectively. "It's okay. I've got you."

I clutch his shirt, the fabric dampening with my tears as I shake my head. "It's not okay," I whisper, my voice breaking.

He pulls back just enough to look at me, his hands gently cupping my face. "Talk to me, Sarah. Please. You're scaring me."

I can't bring myself to tell him everything, not yet. Instead, I just shake my head again, the words tangled in my throat.

"Okay," he says softly, guiding me to sit on the couch. "You don't have to say anything right now. Just breathe, alright?"

I nod, focusing on the steady rhythm of his breathing as he sits beside me, his hand never leaving mine.

Minutes pass, maybe hours. I'm not sure.

Ryan's arm wraps around me, holding me close as I lean against him. The steady rise and fall of his chest is comforting, like a metronome grounding me in reality. My tears have slowed, but my body feels heavy.

"Sarah," he murmurs softly, his voice breaking the silence. "You don't have to talk, but... I need to know you're okay."

I nod weakly against his shoulder, my cheek pressed to the fabric of his shirt. It smells like his usual cologne, crisp and clean, with a hint of something warm.

"I'm... trying," I whisper, my voice barely audible.

He doesn't push me further, just squeezes my hand in quiet reassurance. The silence between us feels safe, not like the oppressive quiet I felt in Noah's house. With Ryan, I don't feel judged or cornered.

I can just be.

The weight of exhaustion begins to settle over me, my eyelids growing heavy. I've been running on empty for too long, and now, with Ryan's warmth anchoring me, my body finally starts to give in.

"You're falling asleep, aren't you?" he asks, his tone laced with a hint of teasing.

"Maybe," I mumble, my voice muffled against his shoulder.

He chuckles softly, the sound vibrating against me. "First, you call me and scare the life out of me, and now you're using me as a pillow."

I can't help the small smile that tugs at my lips, even as my eyes remain closed. "You're a good pillow," I murmur, my words slurring slightly as sleep starts to pull me under.

Ryan sighs dramatically, but his arm adjusts, cradling me more securely. "Fine. Just don't drool on me, okay?"

I hum in response, too tired to argue. The world feels distant now, my thoughts fading into a haze. Wrapped in Ryan's warmth, I let the darkness take over, slipping into a restless but much-needed sleep.

As I drift off, I feel his hand brush lightly against my hair, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're stronger than you think, Sarah. Don't forget that."