Samantha wiped her damp cheeks with the back of her palm, letting out a shaky breath as her weeping gradually subsided. "Alright..." she whispered softly, her posture deflating. "If this is really the end... can I at least get a hug?" Sensing my immediate, instinctual hesitation, her tone softened into something fragile and helpless. "Just a friendly hug, Xavier? After ten years, do I not even deserve that much?"
Who was I to refuse a simple embrace? Especially after stripping away everything she thought she owned?
I took a slow step forward, allowing my guard to drop for a fraction of a second. That split second was all she needed. Without warning, Samantha threw herself into my chest, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist and leaning her body into mine. We stood there in the quiet room, wrapped in a heavy, unnatural silence as the rest of the world faded into background noise.
