Chapter 8: The Confrontation

While I was at an impasse with Sean, there was another knock at the dorm door.

A scuffle broke out in the hall, voices rising. The RA’s practiced patience cut through the chaos.

The RA led Wendy to our door.

She stood shivering in the doorway, rainwater puddling at her sneakers. Her eyes were red, cheeks blotchy—she looked lost in our messy dorm.

Sean hovered, wringing his hands, desperate to help.

Wendy didn’t even glance at him, walking straight to me.

My roommate, bless him, pushed Sean out and closed the door, mouthing "good luck" before slipping away.

Wendy, soaked through, stood in front of me like a kitten left out in the rain.

Her lips trembled. She hugged herself, water dripping down her wrists.

Her hair was a mess, her eyes brimming. I couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears.

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, trying to look tough. It only made her more vulnerable.

"Alex, don’t leave me."

Her voice was so soft I almost missed it over the hum of the radiator.

I clenched my palm, got up and handed her a towel. "Dry off, you’ll catch a cold."

Her eyes brightened, she clutched the towel tight.

She grabbed my hand, stepping closer. "Alex, you still care about me?"

My resolve wavered, just for a second. She looked at me like she did the night we first kissed.

"Let’s not break up, okay? If I did something wrong, I can change."

She squeezed my hand, voice cracking. I looked away.

"If you’re worried your dad won’t approve, I can try to win him over..."

She started to ramble, voice picking up speed, like she could talk me out of leaving.

"Wendy, that’s enough." I cut her off, harsher than I meant.

She flinched. "I said we broke up. Can you stop pushing this?"

The silence was heavy, even the fridge seemed to shut up.

She finally asked the question I’d dodged: "Is it because of last night?"

Her voice trembled, her eyes searching.

I brushed off her hand, stepping back. "It’s not important. I just want to break up. Don’t overthink it."

I tried to sound even, but the words came out brittle.

"Alex, tell me. It’s important to me." She grabbed my shoulders, stubborn, pleading.

She shook me, eyes wet. I bit my lip, looked her dead in the eye, and said the cruelest thing I could:

"Yeah, it’s because of last night."

I held her gaze, forcing myself not to look away.

"I don’t want a girl who’s cold in bed. I’m still young—do you want me to be a monk for life?"

The words echoed, ugly and final. I watched her face crumble, guilt and relief warring inside me.