PART 3 – CHAPTER 160
JESS
I slipped of my sandals and walked barefoot across the grass until I got to the pool. Walking along the edge and watching the water sparkle.
From inside, through the sliding glass door, I could hear Aiden’s voice, low and steady, mingling with my father’s deeper timbre. I knew the conversation well enough by now–plans for his future, for our future, investments, and business propositions. I had tried to tell him, please don’t involve my dad, but his words came back like an iron wall: It’s for our financial future, Jess.
I had no response, just a tightening in my chest, so I turned and walked out.
Now, outside by the pool, I exhaled, letting the tension drain through my fingertips as I rubbed my arms against the evening chill.
The soft creak of the door sliding open behind me broke the silence. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. The shift in the air around me, the low hum of tension that always seemed to follow him, told me enough.
“You don’t need to thank me,” Luke’s voice cut through the quiet, calm and sure.
I spun around, narrowing my eyes at him. “For what?”
He smirked, that familiar, infuriating half–smile that could make
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PART 3 CHAPTER 160
PART 3 – CHAPTER 160
JESS
I slipped of my sandals and walked barefoot across the grass until I got to the pool. Walking along the edge and watching the water sparkle.
From inside, through the sliding glass door, I could hear Aiden’s voice, low and steady, mingling with my father’s deeper timbre. I knew the conversation well enough by now–plans for his future, for our future, investments, and business propositions. I had tried to tell him, please don’t involve my dad, but his words came back like an iron wall: It’s for our financial future, Jess.
I had no response, just a tightening in my chest, so I turned and walked out.
Now, outside by the pool, I exhaled, letting the tension drain through my fingertips as I rubbed my arms against the evening chill.
The soft creak of the door sliding open behind me broke the silence. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. The shift in the air around me, the low hum of tension that always seemed to follow him, told me enough.
“You don’t need to thank me,” Luke’s voice cut through the quiet, calm and sure.
I spun around, narrowing my eyes at him. “For what?”
He smirked, that familiar, infuriating half–smile that could make
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PART 3 CHAPTER 160
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my pulse quicken and my blood boil at the same time. “For lying for you.”
My heart stuttered, and for a split second, I just stared at him, trying to form words. “Lying?” I finally managed, my voice sharper than intended.
Luke took a few casual steps toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. “About the Jeep. I sold that thing when I moved to L.A. There’s no way you’d know about it… unless you remembered.”
I felt my breath catch in my throat. He was pressing me, his gaze steady and unyielding, cutting right through every wall I had tried to build. Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them back, not willing to give him the satisfaction.
“Just because I remember a little doesn’t mean I remember everything,” I snapped, my words tumbling out faster than I could stop them. “I hate those looks, Luke. The hope on everyone’s faces, the flicker of excitement that lights up their eyes, only to die the second I don’t remember what they want me to remember.”
My voice broke, and I swallowed hard, turning away from him. The lump in my throat made it hard to breathe, let alone speak. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms. “It’s like they’re waiting for me to be whole again, but I’m not. And I don’t know if I ever will be.”
Luke didn’t say anything right away. He stood there, just watching me, and for a second, I thought maybe he’d leave and let me have this moment to myself.
But instead, he took another step closer. He reached for me, his arms pulling me into a hug, but I stood rigid in his embrace for a
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PART 3 CHAPTER 160
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second until my body molded to his, and I relaxed.
“I can wait,” he whispered, his breath warm against my ear.
Something inside me snapped.
I shoved him back, hard enough to make him stumble. “I don’t want you to wait, Luke!” My voice rose, louder than I intended, shaking with all the anger and frustration that had been building for so long. “Don’t you get that? The old me–she’s gone! I m it never come back!”
Luke’s face fell, the smirk replaced with something darker, something more painful. His jaw clenched, but before he could respond, the unmistakable sound of the back door opening reached us.
I froze, my breath coming out in sharp, ragged bursts as I turned to see Aiden standing in the doorway, my father just behind him. They were both staring at us, eyes wide with surprise and
confusion. Aiden’s gaze flickered between me and Luke, his brow furrowed, jaw tight.
“What’s going on?” Aiden’s voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.
My chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. I could feel the heat of their stares, the unspoken questions hanging in the air. Luke stood just a few feet away, his fists clenched at his sides, his eyes never leaving mine.
I glanced at Aiden, then back at Luke, the silence between us thick and suffocating. My throat tightened as I tried to find the words, but nothing came. All I could feel was the raw, aching
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anger pulsing through me, the weight of their expectations dragging me down.
Aiden took a step forward, concern etched across his face. “Jess… what’s going on?”
I didn’t have an answer. Not one that made sense, anyway. Not one that wouldn’t unravel everything I had been trying to hold together.
Luke’s voice broke through the silence, low and controlled. “We were just talking.”
“Doesn’t sound like just talking,” Aiden shot back, his eyes narrowing as he looked between us.
I swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. I couldn’t deal with this. Not right now. Not with all of them staring at me like I was a bomb about to explode.
“I need space,” I muttered, my voice shaky as I stepped back, putting distance between me and the three of them. “I just… I need to be alone.”
Before anyone could say anything else, I turned and walked away, my feet carrying me as far from the house, the pool, and the questions as possible. I didn’t stop until I was on the other side of the yard until I was standing in front of the tree house.
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