Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 564:

Brian glanced at Tracy, his expression steady but firm.

“Tracy, could you step outside for a moment?”

Tracy’s lips formed a pout, her voice soft and pleading.

“Brian, you’ve just woken up. I’d feel better staying here with you. I know you and Rachel need to talk, but I promise I won’t interfere. Just pretend I’m not even here.”

“I don’t really enjoy pretending people are invisible,” Rachel cut in, her voice sharp and unyielding, leaving no room for debate.

Tracy’s eyes flickered with surprise, but she quickly turned back to Brian, her voice trembling slightly.

“Brian, I’m just worried about you. Please, let me stay.”

Brian met her gaze, his voice gentle but resolute.

“I promise I’ll be fine. If I need anything, I’ll call you.”

With a resigned sigh, Tracy stood, her gaze lingering on Brian for a moment before she walked toward the door. As it closed behind her, the room seemed to breathe again—quiet, heavy with anticipation.

The silence stretched, but it was Rachel who broke it, her voice steady but filled with a quiet intensity.

“Your mother told me you wanted to see me.”

Brian’s expression shifted the moment she spoke, his features clouding with disappointment.

“After everything, is this really how you start the conversation?”

The question caught Rachel off guard, leaving her momentarily speechless. She stood frozen, her hands instinctively clasping together, fingers twisting as if trying to anchor herself.

Brian didn’t miss the gesture, his sharp gaze catching every flicker of her unease.

gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.𝗰𝗈𝗺 – 𝗟𝗲𝗚𝗜𝗧 𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧

A bitter smile tugged at his lips, his voice laced with self-mockery.

“Is it really that hard for you to answer? Or should I rephrase? What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you see me?”

For a brief moment, Rachel’s instincts screamed to say his safety, but the words stuck in her throat. She had wanted to say it, to voice the concern she still felt for him, but the reality of their situation washed over her; he was with Tracy now. The line between them had been drawn long ago. Why complicate it with lingering emotions?

Brian, sensing her hesitation, narrowed his eyes, and with a quiet, almost cutting realization, he added,

“It’s about Jeffrey, isn’t it?”

Rachel’s throat tightened, and after a moment of struggle, she finally whispered, “I can’t bear the thought of anything bad happening to you.” Her words were soft but carried a raw sincerity that cut through the stillness of the room.

Brian could see the faint redness at the corners of her eyes and hear the slight tremor in her voice. Her concern was genuine; she cared deeply for his safety, his health, and his very existence. Yet, as much as her words touched him, they weren’t what he had hoped for.

Her care, though heartfelt, no longer held the warmth of a lover’s affection. It was the kind of concern a friend might offer, or perhaps a devoted subordinate, impeccable in its way but distant.

It was at that moment that he realized, with painful clarity, what he had lost. The person he once held so close was gone, and what he longed for was now forever out of reach. He could only watch as everything they had built together slipped away, piece by piece, leaving behind an emptiness he couldn’t fill.

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