Page 54 of Let Her Live

She smiled, gaze lingering on his for a moment too long, before she had to look away. Jake was too handsome for his own good, and Fiona couldn't help but think about kissing him again. As he looked at her lips, she was sure he was thinking about it too, and it made her feel more confident than she ever had.

In fact, this whole time, Jake had been helping Fiona build her confidence in an entirely new way.

She was so much more than the lab girl now. She was stronger, more capable, mentally and physically.

She was ready to move forward.

But first, she had something to deal with back home.

***

Fiona had never been so happy to be back in her apartment.

The flight back had taken way too long, but she was here now, showered and cleaned up. All she wanted to do was be alone for the night, but she couldn't stand letting this go on any longer.

So, she'd invited Mark over.

She had to break up with him.

This time, for good.

This time, she wouldn't take no for an answer, no matter what he said. Even if he cried and begged. She had to stick to her guns. It wasn't about Jake—it was about Fiona, about how she wasn't happy or content in her relationship with Mark. She would rather be single.

She sat on her couch, anxiously waiting for his knock on her door.

She'd decided to wait up for him. Maybe it was the wrong way to do this, but it was the only way Fiona knew how to break up with him after this long.

She waited and waited, but finally, she heard the knock. Her heart thundered in her chest as she approached the door, gently swinging it open. He stood there with a hopeful smile on his face, his eyes so soft and kind.Her stomach twisted.There were two sides to Mark; the kind and gentle person she had initially fallen for. But there was also the darker side, the side of him that was possessive and clingy.

She had to end it.

"Hey, beautiful," he began, coming into the apartment, but Fiona barred him off at the entryway.

"Mark, don't," she said. She had to be strong. "I'm sorry, but—I meant what I said. We need to break up. For good."

Mark's face fell, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. "What? Fiona, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I can't do this anymore," she said firmly. "I've tried, but it's just not working. I need something more, something that you can't give me. I need to be free to live my life, to pursue my dreams without worrying about someone holding me back."

"But I love you," he said, his voice shaking. "I thought we had something special."

Her gut twistedupon hearing those words. Love? They barely knew each other. She had imagined a man saying those words to her before, and it hadn't been like this.

"Mark, we barely know each other," Fiona said. "We've only been dating for a few weeks. You don't love me."

Mark's face fell, and his eyes clouded with confusion and hurt. "What? No, Fiona, we can work this out. We can talk about it, figure out what's wrong."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," Fiona said, her voice firm. "We've talked about it enough. I just don't see a future for us together."

Mark's face twisted in pain, and Fiona felt a pang of guilt. She didn't want to hurt him, but she knew it was for the best.

"I'm sorry, Mark," Fiona said, her tone softening. "But this is what's best for both of us."

Mark's eyes locked onto hers, and Fiona could see the pain and confusion etched into his face. But she couldn't falter now. She had made her decision, and it was final.

"Fiona, please," Mark pleaded, stepping closer to her. "Don't do this. Give me another chance. I promise I'll change."

Fiona shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mark, but it's too late for that. I need to focus on my career and my life. I hope you can understand that."

---