Tears streamed down my face, hot and unstoppable. My sobs started soft, but they quickly broke into loud, painful cries that I couldn't hold back. I didn't care how Ashton felt. I didn't care about anything anymore.
At some point, he stopped what he was doing. His voice softened as he tried to calm me down, but the more he spoke, the harder I cried. Every word from him only made the ache inside me worse, like he was pressing on something already broken.
In the end, he gave up trying to talk. His arms wrapped around me instead, holding me close. The warmth of his body surrounded me, steady and firm, like he was trying to contain the storm I had become.
But I didn't stop.
Once I started crying, it felt endless. All the pain I had buried for so long poured out at once, leaving me shaking in his arms. He had no choice but to stay there, holding me while I let everything out.
