Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3114

She had drank a lot tonight. Her head was throbbing, and her chest ached. In that moment, she realized that when a person was truly, hopelessly heartbroken, the pain literally radiated from their heart.

*

Later that night, with only a few lingering customers left in the restaurant, Xavier stepped out into the backyard for a smoke.

Before he could finish his cigarette, his phone started ringing. He glanced at the screen but didn't pick up right away.

It kept ringing relentlessly, as if the caller refused to give up until he answered.

Finally, he swiped to accept and brought the phone to his ear.

There was no voice on the other end, just the faint, jagged sound of breathing. He stayed silent too.

A long time passed before a muffled, agonized sob broke through the speaker. The girl was crying her heart out, the raw devastation and despair bleeding through the phone line with painful clarity.

She was usually so upbeat and full of life. She had to be pushed to the absolute brink to break down like this.

It felt like a vice gripped Xavier's chest. His knuckles turned white as he held the phone.

"Norah..." his voice was a low rasp.

She kept crying, seemingly covering her mouth to muffle the sound, desperate not to seem pathetic.

But those choked, gut-wrenching sobs were enough to shatter the stillness of the night and make his heart ache.

She didn't say a single word, yet it felt like she was pouring every ounce of her heartbreak into his ear.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

A few seconds later, she hung up.

Staring at the darkened screen, a sudden wave of panic washed over him. He realized, with a sickening jolt, that he had drastically underestimated just how deep her feelings for him ran.

*

When Adrian finally found Norah, she was slumped against her chair, half-asleep. Tear tracks stained her luminous skin, and the corners of her eyes were red. She looked heartbreakingly fragile.

Unable to stop himself, he gently brushed her cheek, calling out softly, "Norah."

Watching her get in, Adrian took a deep breath. She was devastated now, but the silver lining was that she was finally done with Xavier. In time, she would forget him.

When she got home, Norah skipped her bedroom and headed straight for the balcony to let the cool wind clear the alcohol from her system.

She sat on the bench, resting her arms on the iron railing, her eyes empty and lost.

Henson Lamont walked over and sat down beside her. The teenage boy's gaze was remarkably steady, though tinged with quiet sympathy. "Drinking to drown your sorrows doesn't work. History has already proven that."

Otherwise, nobody would have coined the phrase about drowning sorrows only making them worse.

Her voice was painfully hoarse. "You're right, Henson. I'm just an idiot in love. I think about him all day, and I think about him all night. I can't sleep, and my chest just hurts so much."

Every time she closed her eyes, she was thrown back to those few days in Bloomfield. They had shared a room, laughing and enjoying each other's company so effortlessly.

It had only been a few days, but that closeness now felt like a lifetime ago. Now, all she saw when she opened her eyes was his ruthless rejection.

Henson frowned. "Stop being so depressing. That's not your style at all. Snap out of it and get back to normal!"