Precious Sins ✓

Chapter 39: The Heart Breaks

"Yeah," I forced a smile and a nod, "I'm okay."

Mom hummed, eyeing me for a moment before she nodded her head, "okay well, we should get going now. It's getting late and we have a lot of unpacking to do."

Mom said her final goodbyes to Preston and Jackson, waving at the two of them before she was making her way over to the car. I followed, moving over to the passenger side of the car. When I opened the door, I stopped to glance back over to the porch, seeing Jackson now making his way back inside the house, before my gaze locked onto Preston's.

Preston held my gaze, his bright blue eyes staring into my own. I don't know how long we stared for, but it felt like an eternity for what had only been a few seconds at most.

Preston broke our gaze first. There was an expression on his face that I couldn't quite read, but I didn't get the chance to fully analyze and come up with ideas, as he turned his back to me and walked inside his house, Kodey hurrying in behind him.

My heart broke just a bit more watching him leave. I was inches away from getting into my car and driving away, and Preston had just walked back inside his house without saying goodbye to me, and it only solidified that we were done. No more living together, no more laughter, no more kisses, no more memories...just nothing.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and I forced myself to get into the passenger seat. And when my mom started the car and we drove away from Preston's house, I didn't look back.

It would be too painful to look back.

***

When mom and I pulled into the driveway of our house, it was a surreal feeling. It almost felt weird to be back home, but it was also nice to be back. It was my childhood home after all.

But now, standing in my bedroom with unpacked boxes scattered around, I didn't know what to feel. It honestly felt weird standing in my bedroom. It was quiet, bare, and cold. The only things that were still in my bedroom were my bed, desk, dresser, and closet, all of which were empty. And usually, I would have my paintings and other pictures hanging on the white walls, but they were bare.

Instant loneliness crept in and hugged me, its arms squeezing me tight. All my emotions hit me at once, and before I could even react, my eyes were blinded by tears.

I slowly sunk to the ground, leaning back against a pile of boxes with my knees pulled to my chest, tears cascading down my face. I cried alone in my quiet room, burying my face into my knees as to muffle the cries. I didn't want my mom to hear me and come walking in to demand what was wrong because I didn't want her involved in this mess. A mess that I made and couldn't get out of, but I deserved it anyways. There was no point in trying to get me out of this mess when there was no way out in the first place.

"Adrien? You in there?" My mom knocked on my bedroom door. I held my breath, choking back the rest of my sobs and pulled myself to my feet, quickly wiping at my face.

"Yeah, mom?" I called out to her, hoping that she didn't hear the waver in my voice.

"Are you alright? I just wanted to know what you wanted for dinner. I could make lasagna? I know it's your favourite!"

"Ah yeah, lasagna sounds good to me," I replied, inhaling another deep breath to calm myself, "I'll just be in here unpacking in the meantime."

"Of course hun, I'll come get you when dinner is ready," Mom said on the other side of the door. After I replied to her with an okay, she shouted I love you's to me and she walked away, her footsteps disappearing down the hallway. I released a heavy sigh once she was gone with a hand on my chest. I was glad that she didn't come in, otherwise, I would have had to come up with some kind of excuse as to why I was crying, and I definitely didn't want to do that.