PART 5- CHAPTER 188
JESS
My heart was hammering in my chest as I stood outside Luke’s building, squinting at the towering windows. I mean, I had literally crossed the country for this. Don’t be a chicken–shit, Jess.
I even had a solid argument, ready for why he should have been the one waiting for me, but since he couldn’t seem to locate his brain, here I was, channeling all my inner self–sufficient women. half–expected birds to chirp and sunlight to beam down like it was a Disney movie–but let’s be honest, life has been more of a horror movie than anything else.
Inhaling deeply, I smoothed down my dress, hands shaking. Luke loved this dress. It was strappy with tiny blue flowers all over. Or maybe he loved taking it off; I couldn’t remember. All I had to do was walk in there and lay it out: I remembered him. I loved him. And he was being ridiculous for keeping away. I could kick his ass for not showing up at the hospital, for letting me wait without a single word after he’d stormed back into my life, turned everything upside down, and then vanished like he’d never been there.
I pulled the building door open and walked straight to the doorman’s desk. He looked up, a trace of sympathy mixed with suspicion in his eyes. Before I even opened my mouth, he shook his head.
“I know that look,” he said, his tone overly familiar, like he’d seen
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this a hundred times before. “You lookin‘ for Luke?”
“Yes,” I said, trying not to sound as frustrated as I felt.
He raised his hand, palm out, already shaking his head. “Look, we get all sorts of fans trying to see the football players here. Luke’s not available, and you can’t just walk in and-”
I bit back a groan. He was clearly on high alert, probably thinking I was some crazed fan, and right now, I was too tired to even think of a convincing comeback. I’d wanted to do this alone, prove to myself I was strong enough, but I needed backup. I pushed through the revolving door back out into the street, spotting Josh’s familiar, tall figure.
Josh jogged over, raising a brow. “Problem?”
“Oh, just a little roadblock,” I muttered, grabbing his arm and dragging him back to the desk with me. The doorman’s face transformed the moment Josh walked in, his jaw practically hitting the floor.
“J–Josh!” he stammered, his face red as he scrambled to straighten his tie.
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Josh flashed him a polite smile, doing his best to look official. “Yeah, this is my sister, Jess. Luke’s my best friend, so I’m vouching for her. She’s definitely not a crazy fan trying to jump him.”
The doorman blinked, still flustered, as he slowly nodded. “Oh… oh! Of course, my apologies. I, uh, didn’t realize-”
“Yeah,” I said pointedly, gripping my bag and trying to rein in my nerves. “No worries. Can I go up now?”
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He nodded, finally pressing a button to let me into the elevator. “Of course, Miss Haynes. Sorry about that.”
I stepped into the elevator and took a deep breath, trying to collect myself as the doors slid shut. The floor number ticked up, each ding drawing me closer to the moment I’d spent countless hours imagining. There was so much I wanted to say, words I’d rehearsed a million times. My anger, my love, my frustration with him for leaving without a word.
Every emotion tangled inside, twisting tighter the closer I got.
Finally, I reached his floor. I stepped out, and suddenly my certainty wavered. His door was only a few steps away, but my feet felt like lead. What if he didn’t even want to see me? What if coming here was a mistake, and he shut me out like before?
I shook my head, dispelling the doubt. This was Luke. Whatever we’d gone through, whatever misunderstandings or mistakes lay between us, we could get through it. I just had to make him see that. I raised my hand, poised to knock, but my nerves screamed at me to turn and leave. What was I doing?
No. I took another breath, steadying myself. He deserved to hear me out, and I deserved answers. This wasn’t just about him. Gathering the last of my courage, I finally knocked, the sound echoing down the empty hallway.
The silence that followed felt like forever, every heartbeat amplified and throbbing in my ears. I strained, listening for any sound on the other side. Then, finally, I heard movement–a shuffling, hurried movement as though he was taken off guard. Footsteps, then the soft click of the lock turning.
The door swung open, but it wasn’t Luke standing there.
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Instead, a woman stared back at me–tall, with a polished look, dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. She took one look at me, her eyes narrowing as if I were an intruder, something that didn’t belong.
I froze, thrown completely off guard. This wasn’t how I imagined this going, not at all.
She folded her arms, leaning against the doorframe with a cool expression. “Can I help you?” she asked, her voice polite but edged with something I couldn’t quite place.
It took a second for me to find my voice. “Is Luke here?”
Her gaze flickered, almost amused. “And you are…?”
“Jess,” I said, straightening. I refused to let her stare me down. “A friend.”
She raised a brow, clearly unconvinced, and let out a small, exasperated sigh. “Luke’s a little busy right now.”
I clenched my jaw.
“Look,” I said, matching her cool tone, “I came a long way. Tell him it’s Jess. He’ll understand.”
She looked me up and down, an unimpressed smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Fine, wait here.” Without another word, she turned and disappeared into the apartment, leaving me standing outside like I was the one intruding.
PART 5 CHAPTER 189
PART 5–CHAPTER 189
