Then, one day, we simply weren’t.
I guess that’s what happens when two people stop growing toward each other and start growing apart.
But I never thought it would happen to us.
It did, though, and now I barely recognize the woman staring back at me in the mirror.
My wild curls are tamed into a bun, my usual flowy dresses and skinny jeans traded for a red blouse and black slacks. I don’t feel like me. Not really. Then again, do I even know who I am anymore? Not since I stopped being JulesandCorbin.
Now, I’m just Jules.
Alone.
No, this isn’t a pity party. I’m trying. I’m putting myself out there. If I don’t, I’ll spend the rest of my life pining after something—someone—who isn’t mine anymore. Someone who hasn’t been mine for a long time.
I grab my black leather jacket from the hook by the door and slip it on. A small act of rebellion. A reminder that there’s still a part of me left in here, buried beneath the broken pieces.
I’m supposed to meet Trey at the coffee shop in fifteen minutes, but my nerves are unraveling fast. I don’t know how to act. How to sit. Where to put my hands. Do I make small talk? Does he? What if the conversation stalls? What if he likes me and I don’t like him? Worse—what if I like him, and he doesn’t like me?
Steady, Jules.
Breathe.
It’s just one date.
I’ll be fine.
Sarge suggested I pick somewhere familiar to make it easier, to take the pressure off. The only place that came to mind was Cardini’s, a little pizza place a few blocks away. Tate loves it. Maybe that’ll help. Maybe it won’t feel so awkward.
Tate.
He’s with Corbin tonight. Probably doing something fun. Sundays used to be family days—back when we were still a family. We’d have picnics at the park, grill on the back patio while Tate ran through the yard, or take long evening walks, counting the stars as they blinked to life in the night sky.
The memories press in, sharp and relentless, tugging at something deep inside me that still aches to be whole.
But that life—as beautiful as it was—took more from me than I was willing to give.
With Corbin, I was always making choices. Choices between who I was and who he needed me to be. Choices between my dreams and his expectations. And the disappointment? That was the worst part.
Disappointing Corbin led to divorce papers. And now I’m here, walking down Main Street toward the coffee shop, heading to dinner with a man I’ve never even met before.
Funny how life folds in on itself. How it bends and twists into shapes you never saw coming.
When I reach the coffee shop, I hesitate, peeking through the glass windows. Sarge is behind the counter, laughing with someone. Someone tall, wearing a gray, long-sleeved shirt.
My stomach twists. Well, here goes nothing.
The bell chimes as I step inside. Sarge’s eyes meet mine instantly, his face breaking into a grin.
“She’s here!”
The man—Trey—turns slowly. His smile is warm, effortless. A perfect row of white teeth. His skin is tawny, his black hair cropped close to his head. There’s stubble along his sharp jawline, but his eyes—green like fresh spring grass—are what hold me still. Kind eyes. Open. He wears a silver chain around his neck, though I can’t quite make out the pendant that rests against his chest.
“Hi,” I say, my voice softer than I intend.
Trey’s dark brows lift, his expression easygoing. “Jules? Finally?”
I force a smile and extend my hand. His is much larger as it closes around mine. Warm, solid. For the briefest second, mybreath catches. His grip is different. His touch doesn’t fit mine like…
