Page 16 of All That She Needs

As I waited for her to enter, my mind raced. I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying to focus on what I would say to her. What I would do. I ran through a dozen scenarios, each one more unsettling than the last. What could have brought her here after all this time? What could she possibly want?

Then, the door opened, and all my thoughts scattered. Vanessa walked into the room, and for a moment, time itself seemed to freeze. It wasn't like the world slowed down around us. It was as if everything had stopped completely, suspended in a single breathless moment.

I took in the sight of her. She was beautiful. My God, she was so fucking beautiful; I didn't think my heart could take it. The memories of our time together came flooding back, hitting me harder than I ever expected. The taste of her, the feel of her, the sound of her voice—every detail rushed through my mind all at once, and suddenly, I was overwhelmed. I couldn't breathe.

Vanessa closed the door behind her slowly, the familiar click resonating throughout the room as it shut completely. The sound seemed to echo in the silence, final and deliberate, as if sealing us off from the rest of the world. My pulse quickened, anticipation tightening its grip on me.

She lingered by the door for a moment, her fingers brushing against the handle as if contemplating something. I waited as the room got smaller, the air heavier, and the spacebetween us felt charged. Then her eyes caught mine, and I stopped breathing entirely.

She walked towards me, and I wasn't sure if I was still awake or if I was in a dream. I stayed frozen, except for my eyes, which couldn't stop drinking her in and tracking her every move.

Then she sat across from me; her eyes never left me as she spoke. "Aiden."

I shivered. Goosebumps marked my arms, the back of my neck, and my heart floated to my throat. I gave her a nod, because it was all I could do at that moment. I didn't trust myself to speak yet.

"Have you been well?" She asked, and I had to stop myself from shaking my head. The real answer clawed at my throat, begging to be released, but I swallowed it down.

No, I was not okay. No, I was miserable and in pain, a pain so deep that some days it felt like I was dying. No, I miss you every single day, Vanessa. I was longing for you in ways I couldn't admit, even to myself. No, Vanessa, you broke me, shattered me into pieces so small that I didn't know if they could ever be put back together again.

"I'm fine," I finally managed, gritting my teeth.

She gazed at me with a quiet sadness, as if she could see right through me, grasping the turmoil that raged inside. But she remained steady—calm and composed, as though she had made peace with the pain long ago. I, on the other hand, was barely holding on, every breath a struggle to keep from falling to pieces.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," she said, her voice gentle as she offered me that familiar, small smile—the one I used to love so much. It was the kind of smile that always made my heart race, that I would have moved mountains just to see it stretch a little wider.

"Why are you here, Vanessa?" I honestly didn't know where my strength came from, but I finally managed to speak. My voice quivered a little, but there was nothing I could do about it.

"I needed to talk to you. To tell you something. In person."

"Tell me what?" I said, my strength returning in slow, deliberate waves. The words came out steadily, no longer with a trace of the tremor I feared might betray me. It was a small victory, but I silently applauded myself for it. I just hoped I could maintain it a moment longer.

"I'm engaged."

And with that, I plunged to my death.

All the little wounds that had punched holes in my heart, the pain from them, the living, breathing agony I'd endured—it was nothing compared to what I felt at this moment. Nothing hurt more than this. Nothing killed me more than this. The anguish was so consuming that I didn't even realize my palm was already pressed against my chest, clutching at my heart through the fabric as if trying to prevent it from shattering. "W...what?" I stuttered.

"I'm engaged," she repeated, her eyes growing glassy as she watched me slowly unravel. Her heart was breaking, too. Seeing me like this was tearing her apart. And I hated it. I hated she pitied me. I hated she had moved on while I was still struggling to accept that we weren't together anymore.

"With whom?" My voice shook. I didn't have it in me to conceal it anymore.

"His name is Ryan. Ryan Miles," she said, calm as a summer breeze. "He's working here, in fact. He's in the PR Department. We started seeing each other two months ago.I know it happened fast." She sighed, her gaze dropping. "I wanted to tell you before you heard it from someone else. I think I owe you that much."

I racked my mind trying to put a face into that name, and then it hit me.Ryan Miles.A trust fund baby that I hired because our company needed to build relationships with his father.

"Oh," I muttered. I didn't know what else to say.

"Aiden," she began again, her voice soft, but I could still hear the sobs she was trying to suppress.

I shook my head. I shook it so hard that I grew dizzy. I growled, "Thank you for informing me. Now, please leave."

She leaned forward across the desk, her hand reaching out to me. "Aiden, I'm sorry."

"Vee," I choked out, feeling the tears well up despite my best efforts to hold them back. God, I was going to cry. I couldn't stop it. I was angry, I was hurt, I was frustrated. And I couldn't do anything. "Please, just go."

"I love you." She said quietly. "I still love you."

Her words froze me. She had never said she loved me before, and now she decided to tell me? "You love me? You love me, but you never told me. It's so fucking unfair! All this time, you made me believe you didn't care, while to me, you were my whole world!"

---