Chapter 297
“Not yet,” Adrian replies. “She’s got a lot going on right now, but once things settle, I’ll tell her… I’m not about to let her slip through my fingers p>
His words land heavier than they should. It’s just a simple confession, but it hits me like a two-edged blade, slicing somewhere in my heart.
I don’t understand the reaction.
He’s my friend. He’s happy and that’s all that should matter.
So why does it feel like something is slipping through my fingers?
I clench my hands beneath the table, nails pressing into my palms as if the physical sting might ease the tightening in my chest.
Maybe it’s not about him. Maybe it’s about the fact that unlike Adrian, who seems to have found something steady and real, I lost the woman I loved because of lies and my own stupidty.
Gunner lifts his glass first. “About damn time,” he smiles, clinking it against Adrian’s.
I follow a second later.
“Congratulations,” I say, forcing a half-smile even as something inside me keeps twisting.
Later that night, I’m home but the house is too quiet.
I’m sitting in the dark when my phone rings.
“What have you found?” I ask.
“She covered her tracks well, but I was able to link the fabricated evidence to her secret email address,” Blaze says evenly. “We can prove she set everything up to frame Sierra p>
A sharp, dark satisfaction cuts through me.
“Good,” I mutter. “And Brook p>
There’s a brief pause on the other end.
“Unfortunately, I can’t find anything concrete tying her to it,” he replies. “She knew what she was doing p>
My jaw tightens. “What do you mean p>
“No calls. No texts. No emails. Nothing that connects them digitally. They met in person almost as if she planned ahead; that way, if this blows up, she can claim she had no idea what Jocelyn was planning p>
A low curse leaves me before I can stop it.
He’s right. That’s not enough because Brook can easily play innocent and distance herself.
I drag a hand down my face, rage simmering just beneath the surface.
“Keep digging,” I growl. “I don’t care how deep you have to go. I want something concrete tying her to this p>
“I’m on it p>
The call ends, but before I can even put my phone down, it rings again.
“Hey, Mom p>
There’s a pause on the other end.
“Are you okay?” she asks gently, as if already knows
I lie “I’m fine p>
“You don’t sound fine p>
I close my eyes. “I am p>
“Are you thinking about Chloe again? Are you missing her?” she asks carefully.
Closing my eyes, I sigh. I don’t know how to answer that after finding out Chloe lied to me a decade ago. After realizing everything I built with her started with a lie.
When I don’t respond, Mom speaks again.
“Then are you thinking about Sierra p>
My eyes snap open. “Why would you think that p>
“You two seemed close the last time I visited,” she says softly.
“That was months ago,” I reply flatly.
And before I can stop myself, before I can swallow it back down where it belongs, the next words slip out.
“And she has a boyfriend now p>
It shouldn’t, but just saying the word “boyfriend” feels like acid on my tongue.
“Since when?” Mom asks, stunned. “And how do you even know that p>
“The twins mentioned it.” I answer, knowing it’s the safest option, because how can I explain that I stormed to her house to get the confirmation?
She goes quiet again before speaking so low, I almost miss it.
“I had hoped p>
“Hoped what p>
“That your fates were finally aligning,” she says. “That you were finding your way back to each other p>
I grip my phone tightly.
“When I saw her at your house last time, I thought maybe you were working things out,” she continues. “So, I held on to hope p>
My throat feels tight, and I can barely breathe.
“I don’t know what went wrong,” she says softly. “When you were in high school, I could’ve sworn you liked her and that girl? She was so in love with you she could barely see straight p>
I can’t speak because now I know exactly what went wrong… Chloe happened.
“She reminded me so much of me…reminded me of how I was in love with your father when we were in high school and because of that, I believed that everything would work out just like it did for me and your dad p>
She pauses, but I continue to stay quiet
“I get it now,” Mom adds quietly, almost like her heart is slowly breaking. “It makes sense why when I saw her two weeks ago… there wasn’t a trace of affection in her eyes when I mentioned your name p>
Something inside my chest shatters.
Ever since our worlds collided again months ago, I convinced myself there was still something there.
I believed she still cared. That she still loved me. That no matter how hard I pushed, no matter how cruel I’d been, some part of her would always belong to me.
But if that’s gone…
If she’s finally moved on…
If another man now stands where I once did.
Then I may have just lost her for good and that? That terrifies me more than anything.