He forces a swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I really am sorry for the way things ended with us. All of it. I wish I could go back in time and change things, but I can’t. What I can do is promise I’ll do whatever I can to bring your vision to life.”
I nod, even though my heart is twisting in ways I don’t want to admit. He watches me as I open the door and climb out, quiet tension stretching until he finally speaks.
“For what it’s worth, I’m not just here to help with the festival. I’m here for you. I messed things up once, but I’ll prove to you that this time, I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you tell me to.”
The words knock the air out of my lungs. I manage a faint smile, a weak attempt at brushing it off, but he just holds my gaze steady.
“See you soon.”
And then he’s gone, leaving me standing there with a thousand emotions I can’t seem to untangle.
Chapter 15
Jake
I driveto Adele’s school still thinking about Kelly. We had one of those all-consuming, fire-and-ice relationships that started when we were teenagers—fifteen and sixteen when we first started dating, full of passion and mess. We were on and off for years, breaking up over something dumb, only to get back together, magnets pulled by a force we couldn’t control.
We were so young. Nobody’s thinking clearly at that age—I wasn’t when I slept with Jenny. I’d heard that Kelly had a new boyfriend, and I was sure she was lost to me forever, and Jenny was nice, but neither of us felt that spark, but we didn’t need to—it was never meant to be a long-term thing.
A few weeks later, Kelly was at my door. It was a Friday night, late summer, the air still thick and humid. I was halfway through a movie when the doorbell rang. I opened the door, and there she was—her eyes bright but anxious, that familiar glint of determination mixed with something vulnerable. Before I could even ask why she was there, she spoke.
“Jake, I made a mistake,” she blurted, words spilling out in a rush. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Her words startled me. “Aren’t you dating James Templeton?”
She frowned, shaking her head. “What? No. I’m not seeing anyone else. I haven’t even thought about it. You’re the only one I want.” Her gaze hardened, just barely, as if she wasn’t sure I’d feel the same way. “But you’re with Jenny, right?”
I shook my head. “No, I mean yes, we’ve been dating. But it’s nothing serious. We’re just having fun. Jenny knows the score. I was trying not to think about you.”
“So…”
At that moment, all the tension I’d been carrying since our fight just melted away. “Kelly,” I said, trying to wrap my head around the fact that she was standing in front of me, saying exactly what I’d been hoping to hear every day since our latest breakup. “You’re the only one I want.”
We stood there in silence, just looking at each other. Then, she reached for my hand, and I took hers, pulling her inside, wanting her close, so close. “Let’s make it work this time,” I said, almost as a plea.
She smiled that smile which just about killed me. “A fresh start. No more doubts, no more breakups. We’re doing this.”
I didn’t hesitate. Right then, I knew what I had to do. “Give me five minutes.” I stepped into the hallway and pulled out my phone, dialing Jenny’s number.
I looked back to see Kelly standing there, the woman I’d been in love with for what felt like my whole life. Jenny deserved more than someone who was only half in it, and with Kelly here, I was ready to give her everything. The call barely rang once before Jenny answered.
“Hey, Jake! What’s up?”
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “Jenny, look, I’m sorry, but we need to end things. I think it’s best for both of us.”
There was a short pause before she laughed. “No problem. Honestly, I had a feeling. We were just keeping things casual anyway, right?”
“Right,” I said, relief loosening the gnawing in my chest. “Thanks, Jen. I appreciate it.”
“See you round,” she said lightly, and with that, we hung up.
Breaking up with Jenny had been simple, clean. No messy goodbyes, no bitter resentment—so different to what I felt each time Kelly and I ended things.
I walked back into the living room, finding Kelly there, waiting. Her eyes were full of questions, but I just pulled her close and she settled against me. This time, it was for real. This time, we were both all in and nothing was going to change that.
Until I found out that Jenny was pregnant.
I tried to do the right thing, or what I thought the right thing was at the time. I was there for Jenny. For our baby. But I’d never stopped wondering what could’ve been.
