Hallie's heart drops.
It takes five full seconds before she can actually process the words.
Before she can actually stand up.
Before she can actually move.
And when she finally does—when she finally steps into the doorway and sees him standing there—
Every fiber in her body goes lax.
Because Wes looks like hell.
His hair is slightly messy, like he's run his hands through it too many times. He's wearing a plain T-shirt and jeans, but there's something off about him.
When he meets her eyes—
She forgets how to breathe.
Neither of us speaks.
Not at first.
Her mom lingers in the background, .
Probably wondering if Hallie is going to bolt again.
Oh how she really wants to.
But instead, she forces out the only thing she can think to say.
"What are you doing here?"
Wes exhales sharply.
"You left."
His voice is low. Tired. Rough.
Hallie swallows. "Yeah."
A long pause.
"You always leave," he says voice cracking just the slightest bit.
And god.
That?
That hurts more than she expected it to.
Because she knows it's true.
She does always leave.
But what else was she supposed to do?
Wes steps closer, hands in his pockets, gaze locked onto her.
His expression is unreadable, but his voice is softer now.
"I need you to be honest with me," he says.
Hallie hesitates. "Wes—"
"Do you love me?"
The words hit like a wrecking ball.
Her lips part. "I—"
"Don't lie."
His voice is low.
Almost pleading.
It kills her hearing him like that.
Because she's never heard Wes plead for anything.
But still, here he was for her.
Her throat is so tight it hurts.
Because she wants to say it.
Wants to tell him everything.
That she's scared.
That she doesn't know how to do this.
That she's never let herself love anyone like this before.
That she doesn't know how to be in a relationship anymore.
That she doesn't know how not to ruin things.
But none of those words come out.
Instead, she does what she always does.
She retreats.
"I don't know."
Wes stiffens.
Hallie immediately hates herself for saying it.
For hurting him again.
Because he knows.
He knows she's lying.
But instead of calling her out on it, instead of pushing her like he always does—
He steps back.
And that?
That's somehow so much worse.
Wes exhales sharply, looking away for a second before nodding.
"Okay," he says finally.
And Hallie wants to tell him it's not okay.
That she doesn't mean it.
That she just doesn't know how to say what she really feels.
But she doesn't.
He just gives her a small, sad smile.
Then he turns.
And he leaves.
The second the door closes, Hallie feels it.
The ache.
The regret.
The overwhelming, suffocating feeling of loss.
And as she stands there, completely frozen, completely unraveling, completely breaking apart—
Her mother sighs from the doorway.
"I think you just made the biggest mistake of your life."
Hallie knows she's right.
YOU ARE READING
The plus one problem
Romance*** STORY COMPLETED* Hallie Dawson never expected to fake date Weston Hale, her insufferably cocky, ridiculously attractive childhood rival turned workplace nemesis. But when she needs a date for her cousins wedding-and he needs to convince his...
When Running Doesn't Work Anymore
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