Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Illusion of Comfort

Lucas was, as he always had been, charming, sweet, attentive. But now, there was something darker lurking beneath his surface. His need for her was no longer just about love or affection—it was about survival. He clung to her with a desperation that was palpable, and it wore on Erin in ways she could no longer ignore.

She had promised herself that she would break free, that she would not return to the suffocating embrace of his dependency, but the pull was so strong. So, so strong.

Each morning, she woke up and tried to breathe. Tried to feel something other than the crushing weight of his presence. But she couldn’t. Every glance he threw her way was a silent plea, every word he spoke was an unspoken chain that bound her tighter. And despite her efforts, despite the mental battles she fought every single day, she found herself slipping further into the darkness.

It happened one night. The argument, the one she had always feared would come but never quite expected to be this destructive.

They were sitting in the living room, the silence between them growing thicker with every passing minute. Lucas, unusually quiet, stared down at his hands, avoiding her gaze. Erin could feel it—the tension building, the emotional storm gathering on the horizon.

Finally, Lucas spoke. His voice was low, edged with something she couldn’t quite place. “You’re so distant lately,” he said, his tone calm but heavy. “What’s going on with you? You’re pulling away from me, and I don’t know why.”

Erin’s heart sank. She had tried to keep things together, to keep her distance from him, but the truth was too obvious. She was pulling away. She had to. She couldn’t keep sinking into this relationship, could she? But the guilt, the fear of being the one to break it all, kept her from speaking the truth.

“I’m not pulling away, Lucas,” Erin lied, forcing a smile that felt foreign to her lips. “I’m just… tired.”

Lucas’s eyes darkened, his expression hardening. “You’re tired of me,” he said flatly. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’re tired of me, tired of us.”

Erin opened her mouth to argue, but she couldn’t find the words. She didn’t know what to say anymore. All the times she had reassured herself that she was strong enough, that she could break free from him—it felt like a distant memory now. She was losing herself again, and worse, she could feel Lucas’s grip tightening.

“I’m not tired of you, Lucas,” she finally managed to whisper. “I’m tired of everything… of me. I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

Lucas’s eyes flashed with hurt. “I need you, Erin. I can’t do this without you. You are my everything. Don’t you see that?”

His words, those familiar words, twisted something deep inside her. She had heard them countless times before. He needed her. He couldn’t live without her. But as she listened to him, something inside her broke—maybe for the last time.

“Lucas, I…” Her voice trembled, but she couldn’t stop herself. “I’m not enough. I can’t be the person you want me to be anymore. I’ve been giving so much of myself, and I don’t know if I can keep doing it.”

The silence that followed felt suffocating. Lucas didn’t move, didn’t speak. He just stared at her, eyes wide with something that looked like panic.

“Erin, don’t,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “You can’t leave me. You can’t walk away. I need you. I won’t survive without you.”

Her heart clenched. She wanted to believe him, wanted to tell herself that his love, his dependence, was just a phase. But as he spoke, she realized—he wasn’t asking her to love him. He was begging her to save him.

Her breath caught in her throat. “I… I can’t fix you anymore, Lucas,” Erin whispered, feeling a final, bitter tear escape her eye. “I’ve given everything I have, and I’m empty. I’m drowning, Lucas. I can’t keep doing this.”

The words hung in the air, a heavy silence that seemed to stretch on forever.

Then, with a sudden motion, Lucas grabbed her arm, pulling her toward him with a force she hadn’t expected. His grip was tight, desperate, and his eyes were frantic.

“You don’t get to just walk away, Erin,” he spat, his voice raw with emotion. “You don’t get to leave me when I need you the most. I won’t let you leave me. I can’t. I won’t survive without you.”

Erin froze. His words felt like daggers, each one puncturing the small remnants of her willpower. The fight within her was fading, replaced by something darker—something that told her she couldn’t leave, no matter how much she wanted to. Because if she did, he would break. He would break. And the thought of that terrified her, terrified her in ways she had never allowed herself to admit.

She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of his hands on her, holding her in place, holding her hostage.

“I can’t leave you, can I?” she whispered, more to herself than to him.

Lucas’s grip loosened just enough for her to see the raw vulnerability in his eyes, but there was no softness, no love in them anymore. There was only need. Only an overwhelming, consuming need that Erin couldn’t escape.

“You can’t,” Lucas repeated, his voice trembling. “I need you. Please.”

Erin’s heart shattered in that moment, and the reality of what she had done—of what she was about to do—settled over her like a dark fog. She wasn’t leaving. She couldn’t leave. Not now. Not like this.

And so, she stayed. She fell back into the same hole, deeper this time, because it felt impossible to climb out. The guilt, the fear, the love—if she could even call it love anymore—had twisted into something she couldn’t untangle. And as the days went on, Erin realized that she was no longer fighting for herself.

She was fighting to stay alive in a relationship that would never set her free.

And so, she stayed. Because in a way, staying was easier than admitting the painful truth.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***