Elise could feel Baden's solid chest pressed against her back. She didn't respond to his plea, but she also didn't feel the same urge to walk away as she had before.
"Since you left, I haven't had a single good night's sleep. Every night, I'm tormented in my dreams… I miss you so much, I really do…" Baden's arms tightened around her, his voice breaking with soft, choked sobs as he confessed his longing.
She could almost feel his hands trembling, and her worry surged, urging her to break free from his embrace.
She turned around to face him, and in that instant, she was stunned.
He looked at her with a dazed expression, but his eyes held more than confusion and uncertainty—there was a glimmer of tears, ready to spill with just one more blink.
That was his heartbreak, the clearest evidence of it.
In all the years she'd known him, she'd only seen him like this twice—once when she drunkenly confessed her feelings to him, and now…now was the second time.
Braden couldn't read her heart or understand what she was thinking, and he didn't dare to make a move, afraid this dream would shatter.
Elise lowered her sorrowful lashes, signaling him to sit on the edge of the bed.
Afraid she might disappear, he obediently followed her gesture.
She moved closer, reaching out with her palm to gently wipe away his burning tears.
"Don't cry…if you cry in front of me, I'll feel sad too…" Elise touched his face lightly, gazing deeply into his eyes.
When had it happened—that the once confident, spirited man, who moved with such assured ease and never shed a tear over emotions, now showed such a fragile side?
Seeing him drown his sorrows in alcohol at the karaoke bar, hurting himself repeatedly, broke her heart. But as the one who'd been broken up with, he had to be hurting even more.
She hesitated, wondering if it would be better to tell him the truth.
At the very least, to give him the chance to make his own choice…
Seeing how much she cared, Braden couldn't tell if this was real or just a fleeting, fragile dream.
He pulled her arm, lifting her onto his lap, drawing her into his embrace, and kissed the lips he had missed so deeply.
He explored her sweet lips, entangling her tongue with his, savoring the honeyed taste in her mouth.
His kiss drove away her thoughts, her mind drifting as she melted into him.
Later, she felt his heartbreak. As they kissed, she tasted the warm salt of his tears.
His kiss was unbreakable, intense and close, filled with passion and longing. She stopped resisting, wrapping her soft hands around his neck, absorbing the week's worth of longing he poured into her.
"If you can only be my dream, then don't let me wake up…" he whispered, pausing his kiss as his fingers traced the tear-streaked contours of her face.
"Why are you so foolish…" she murmured, looking at him with sorrowful eyes, her heart weighed down by sadness.
"Because I truly love you…if I can only have you in my dreams, then that's fine. I just don't want this dream to end…" he spoke as if it were madness, yet his words were sincere.
During this week apart, not a day passed without her appearing in his dreams. Sometimes they were memories of their childhood together, other times of their sweet relationship, and sometimes…of the nightmare where she coldly left him, returning his ring.
Every day was torture, though only he knew. When he'd sent her the text agreeing to break up, he'd been alone in the living room, drinking red wine just to fall asleep.
Only he understood how hard he had cried that night. For the first time, he felt the gut-wrenching pain of losing someone he loved.
He felt an unprecedented heartache; to truly love someone, to give them everything, only to go from having to losing it all—it was like being hollowed out, unable to feel anything anymore.
If he had to describe any feeling at all, it would be the memory of his heart breaking…
Since losing her, he no longer remembered what happiness felt like.
"How could you say such a foolish thing…" She stroked his face, looking into his reddened eyes.
"Because I don't want to bear the pain of losing you… my heart hurts so much…" he admitted, unable to hold back his tears as he poured out his anguish before her.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault, I'm so sorry…" She held him tightly, letting him feel the undeniable presence of her warmth beside him.
He hugged her back just as tightly, almost crushing her into his embrace, as if this was the only way to keep her close, to hold onto the dream a little longer.
