the window. The soft light of the evening sky filtered through the glas

s on his

the end of everything we once had. But now, he was coming, and I

. Not for this

air conditioner, the ticking of the clock on the wall, the faint sound of traffic below, but they al

Jordan back in, not after everythin

rough my door and disrupt whatever fragile

mped. I picked it up, my heart skipping a b

. Let me know if

clan. The last few days had been a whirlwind, but

that make things worse, more co

oor snapped me o

ckened. Jord

eady my nerves. I wasn't going to

ng against my ribcage. I opened it sl

ong, eyes a little too intense. But there was something different about him tonight.

d, his voice l

him standing there, looking like he hadn't slept in days. The man who

finally asked, my voice more s

hrough his hair. "I just...

act that you're the reason my life is a complete mess right now

e admitted, his voice thick with emotion. "But I als

n't sure what for. Was I still in love with him? Or was this just some t

ft to explain, Jordan? You cheat

blows. His eyes darkened. "I made a mistake. A

you were so willing to toss me aside for a quick flin

ilt flash in his eyes. The same guilt he'd always had after one of his many

same person I was when I married you," I said, my voice quieter now. "I'm not the

now. But I need to make things right. I need to know-" He stopped himself, taki

uld I go back to that place? Could I forgive him for the things he'd done to me?

ing the weight of it all crash down on me

tion, his desire to fix things, but I also felt the distance that had for

ide right now. Just... let me be a part of your life again. We'll ta

f the baby. That was the one thing neither of

at," I snapped, stepping back. "I don't need you to take

"Maybe not. But I want to help, Lila. I've neve

nd I swallowed hard. I couldn't let him do

m as I walked toward the kitchen. "I

he called out after me, his

eave. I needed space. I needed to get away from

t now," I said, my voice trembling

tly, but I could hear the tension in his vo

sion hard. "What I want, Jordan, is

e struggle in his eyes. But he nodded, slow

in the space between us. But even as the door click