Sana crosses her arms tighter, her body rigid with unspoken frustration. “I have nothing to say to you. And even if I did, I wouldn’t waste my breath.”
“Good. Then just listen.”
“I’ve done enough listening. And I’m done,” she snaps, her voice shaking slightly.
“You’re done? Done with what?” I hold my ground, refusing to look away. “Done with this game? Done pushing me away, pretending you don’t care?”
“I was never pretending. And I was never playing games, Aditya. You know that.”
I let out a dry laugh. “Is that so? Because it sure as hell feels like a game to me—one where you push, and I keep coming back.”
Her breath catches for a split second, but she recovers quickly. “Then maybe it’s time you stop coming back.”
“Like hell, I will.” My eyes search hers, looking for remorse, maybe to finally understand that we are meant to me. “Sweetheart it’s time you stop pushing me away.” I step closer. “You act like you don’t care, like nothing matters. But I know it hurt you. I saw it.” My voice is low but firm. “Now, no excuses, no more running. Just the truth.”
She exhales sharply, shaking her head again. “Listen, Aditya, I won’t stand here and pretend I didn’t get hurt. But the truth is that we don’t belong together. You belong with someone like Samantha. She is perfect for you,” she says, looking away as if she doesn’t trust herself to hold my gaze.
I gently lift her chin, guiding her eyes back to mine, my own jaw tightening at her words. “Don’t do that, Sana. Don’t decide for me who I belong to.”
She lets out a laugh, but there’s no humour in it. “I don’t have to, Aditya. You’ve already shown me.” Her voice is quieter now. “Samantha—she fits into your world. She’s everything you need.”
“You think this is aboutfittinginto some damn mould? You think I want her?” I scoff, my fingers tightening as I cup her face. “If I wanted her, I wouldn’t be standing here, fighting for you.”
Her eyes turn glassy. “There’s nothing left to fight for, Aditya.”
“You really believe that?”
“Yes,” she says, her voice barely audible.
My grip on her cheeks tightens, my voice edged with frustration. “So all those late-night conversations, all that time we spent—none of it meant anything to you?”
She swallows hard, her voice strained. “It mattered. But not everything is meant to last.” She stubbornly meets my gaze. “You and me... it was never meant to be.”
I smirk, barely holding back a laugh at the same tired assumption she keeps throwing at me. “You’re only saying that because it makes walking away easier. Keep telling yourself the same thing over and over if it helps you sleep, but we both know that’s a lie. Truth is, we belong to each other—no doubt, no question about it.”
She scoffs, shoving my hands off her. “Funny. This is coming from the guy who was just on a date with someone else a few hours back.”
I clench my jaw. “Sana, you very well know that date meant nothing to me.”
She lets out a bitter laugh. “Ya, right.”
I exhale sharply, frustration creeping into my voice. “Sana, it was just to make you regret—”
She cuts me off with a scoff. “Regret what? Pushing you away? So I can come crawling back just to feed your ego?” She shakes her head, her eyes flashing. “You don’t get to play these games with me, Aditya.”
I drag in a breath, stepping closer. “Sana, I—”
She takes a step back, her arms crossing tightly. “Don’t, Aditya. Whatever you’re about to say... just don’t.” She exhales, like this conversation drained every last bit of energy she had left. “If you haven’t figured out by now why I made this decision, then maybe you never will. I don’t need you trying to change mymind, and I definitely don’t need you waiting outside my café like it’s going to change anything. It’s over, Aditya.”
She looks past me, like she’s already made her decision, but I’m not ready to let her walk away.
Before I can say a word, she steps around me, every movement precise, like she’s holding herself together by sheer will. She reaches her car, and for a fleeting moment, I think she might look back. But she doesn’t. She just gets in, starts the engine, and drives off—without a second glance.
And I’m left standing here, my hands curling into fists at my sides, staring at the road where her car disappeared. And all I can think is—losing her isn’t just a distant fear. It’s a burden too fucking heavy to carry in my heart and damn near impossible to live with. And I’ll be damned if I ever let that become my reality.
Sure, she’s dead set on breaking us. Fine. But I’m just as stubborn. This fight isn’t finished. I fucking won’t let this be the end of our story. No way.
Chapter 25
