the broken, damaged girl

"Sorry, Annie. I know you don't want to talk to him, but it was freezing out, so I let the poor kid in," Jack said from the other side of the door. Annie still refused to unlock her room. Jack sighed, giving Leo a sympathetic look before walking away, leaving Leo standing alone.

Leo stood there, his heart heavy, eyes filled with regret and pain. "Annie," he called softly. Inside, Annie sat with her back pressed against the door, her face a mask of stoicism even as she felt a sob choking in her throat. Hearing Leo's voice broke something inside her, but she didn't want to show it. She couldn't let him see how much it hurt.

Leo knocked softly on the door, his voice barely above a whisper. "Please, Annie, please just talk to me."

There was no response from the other side, only silence. Leo let out a frustrated sigh, leaning his forehead against the door. "I know I messed up," he said, his voice cracking. "But at least let me explain."

Annie shut her eyes tightly, drawing in a deep breath to steady herself. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him how betrayed she felt, but the words wouldn't come. She stayed silent, hoping he would just go away.

Leo bit the inside of his cheek, the sting of her silence cutting deeper than he expected. "I know I should walk away... I know I should let it go and give you space. But I can't, Annie. I can't just let you go." His voice wavered with desperation. "I don't want to. I can't imagine not seeing your smile or hearing your laugh again."

He paused, waiting for any sort of response, but none came. The quiet between them was suffocating, thick with the weight of unspoken emotions.

When several minutes passed without a word from Annie, Leo thought maybe she'd left him standing there, maybe she wasn't even listening anymore. He sank to the floor, leaning his back against the door, mirroring her position on the other side.

"It all hurts," Leo continued, his voice low and filled with pain. "But for some reason, we never give up, do we? Maybe I should. Maybe it'd be easier, maybe it'd be the right thing. I did hurt you, after all. I did the one thing I promised myself I'd never do—I hurt you. But, Annie, I swear to you, I never meant to. I never wanted to hurt you."

Annie's eyes welled up with tears, but she didn't let them fall. She felt her heart cracking open, but she remained frozen, unable to move or speak. The pain of his words was almost unbearable, and yet, part of her longed to believe him.

"You're too good for this world, Annie," Leo's voice softened. "This world doesn't deserve someone like you, so how could I? How could I ever deserve you?" He chuckled bitterly, shaking his head, not caring how pathetic he sounded. He needed her to know how much she meant to him, even if she wouldn't forgive him.

"I'm an idiot, I know that," he continued. "All I ever wanted was for you to trust me. I just wanted to be there for you, to hold you, to protect you. Maybe you didn't need that, but I did. I needed to be the one to make you happy. I needed to know that you knew how important you are."

Annie's tears spilled over, rolling down her cheeks as she listened. She wanted to scream at him for what he'd done, to tell him how much he'd shattered her trust, but her heart betrayed her, aching for the connection they once had.

Leo's voice grew even softer, more vulnerable. "The first day I met you, out by the parking lot—that's when I knew you were special. You're precious, Annie. In this sweet, intoxicating way that just... pulls you in. I wanted to be around you all the time because everything felt so easy, so right with you. You'd melt my heart without even trying."

Annie's heart swelled at his words, the mix of emotions inside her a storm she couldn't control. The ache in her chest was almost unbearable, but she didn't move, didn't speak.

Leo smiled to himself, a soft, wistful smile. "Everything about you makes me smile. When you hide your blush, or your smile... I wish you wouldn't. You have no idea how beautiful it is."

Annie let out a breathy chuckle, one Leo didn't hear.

"I know what I did was wrong. I betrayed your trust in the worst possible way, and I'm sorry. I don't even know why I did it. I just... I wanted to know you. I wanted to know what you were feeling, to know you were okay. But I should've waited, I should've let you open up on your own. I messed up, and I can't apologize enough for that."

Leo clenched his fists, wanting to punch something, anything, for how badly he'd screwed things up. He waited, hoping for a response, but the silence on the other side of the door was deafening. He wasn't even sure she was listening.

He leaned his head back, his voice barely above a whisper. "When I'm with you, Annie, I laugh harder, I feel more like myself. I want to spend hours just talking to you. I never knew that finding that first letter would make me fall for you the way I did. And maybe, if I had known... maybe I would've kept my distance. Because now, I've hurt you, and that's the last thing I ever wanted."

Leo let out a shaky breath, the weight of his own confession crashing over him. "God... Annie Halden, I think I'm in love with you."

Annie froze, her breath catching in her throat. Did he just say...?

Leo blinked, sitting up straight. Did I just say that out loud? He hadn't even realized the truth of it until the words left his mouth.

Annie's heart raced, her mind spinning. She stood up shakily, her hand hovering over the doorknob. Should she open it? Could she face him after everything?

Leo, still reeling from his own confession, stood up, shaking his head. He should leave. He needed to leave. But as he started to turn, the door opened behind him.

"You're just going to say you love me and walk away?" Annie's voice was quiet but steady, laced with disbelief.

Leo spun around, his eyes wide. "Annie..." he breathed, relief and warmth flooding his chest just from hearing her voice.

"Well?" She crossed her arms, her face expressionless, though her heart was racing.

"I—" Leo stammered, unsure of what to say. "Annie, I'm so sorry."

She frowned, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You messed up, Leo."

"I know," he nodded quickly. "I know I did. I should've never read those letters. I—"

Annie shook her head, cutting him off. "Not just because of the letters."

Leo blinked, confused. "Then... what?"

Annie gave him a small, sad smile, her voice barely a whisper. "You messed up by falling for the broken, damaged girl."