Jack’s last message glows on the screen.I miss you.
Guilt prickles. I should have answered him sooner.
I type, fingers trembling slightly:Saw my parents. It went as well as expected.
I hesitate, then admit the truth.The feeling is mutual.
I hitSendbefore self-doubt creeps in and curl up on the couch, drawing my knees in. The apartment’s silence feels colder and heavier after the warmth I’d found at Jack’s house, after the sound of Henry’s laughter, the sense of belonging. Now, all that’s left is the echo of what I gave up.
The phone buzzes in my palm once, then again.
Jack:You okay?
I stare at the screen, trying to find the energy to lie, but I can’t.
Me:Not really.
Three dots appear, vanish, then reappear.
Jack:I can be there in three hours.
For a second, my breath sticks. If I said yes, he’d be here—no questions.
I want to tell him to come. I ache for it.
But I’m not ready.
Me:I’ll be fine. Thanks anyway.
A pause.
Jack:Well…If you change your mind.
I pull the phone against my chest.
God, I miss him.
CHAPTER TEN
BETH
The instant I step into the office, whispers spark like static. Coworkers glance my way before quickly dropping their eyes. Some were at the wedding. The rest have heard the rumors.
Head high, I walk to my desk, refusing to let the dense air close in on me.
Lori appears, sharp elbows on my cubicle wall. “You okay?”
I manage a brittle smile. “Not really.”
She scowls at the onlookers. “God, people are such vultures.”
I drop my bag onto the floor and take a seat. “I knew this would happen.”
Lori leans closer, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper. “Clark’s been ‘confiding’ in everyone all morning. Telling them you were cold. That you neglected him, so he turned to Stephanie. For comfort, supposedly.”
My stomach clenches. “Of course.”
She shrugs. “He’s full of shit. Most people know it. The rest are happy to lap up the drama.”
