LOGINTARA'S POV No. No, it couldn't be him, right?I pressed closer to the crack in the door, trying to see, but they were positioned just out of my line of sight in the living room."You have responsibilities to this family too," the brother continued. "I’ve always been there for her while you were off trying to revive the construction company. Why can I have this break?”There was a loud thud that made me flinch, followed by Jeremiah’s growl. "You know why I had to fucking do that! And we had a deal but you broke it, why?”"I had things to do. A life, remember? You're not the only one who-""Things to do?” Jeremiah snapped. “Or someone to do?"There was a sharp intake of breath. "That's not fair."Jeremiah scoffed. "Isn't it? How many months has it been since you actually showed up for a family dinner? Since you spent more than five minutes with Nana?"There was a heavy silence that pressed against my ears then angry footsteps heading toward the door."You know what? Forget it. I came h
TARA’S POV"Jesus Christ!"Jeremiah's voice cut through my panic, followed by a pained grunt.My fist had connected with his face, I realized with horror as the panic started to recede and my other senses kicked back in.My hand went up to my mouth. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I didn't… I couldn't see and the lights suddenly went off.""It's fine," he said, his voice strained. "Stay right there. Don't move."I heard him moving through the darkness with, followed by the scratch of a match, then a small flame bloomed to life. He lit a candle on a nearby table, then another, and another, until soft golden light filled the space.When he turned to face me, I gasped becauae blood was trickling from his nose.I shifted closer. "Oh God, Jeremiah, I'm so sorry.""Power goes out sometimes," he said calmly, tilting his head back slightly. "Old wiring. I've been meaning to fix it.""Let me help." I rushed forward, all my earlier awkwardness forgotten in the face of actual crisis. "Do you have tis
TARA'S POVJeremiah ignored them and looked at me. "Come on."I followed him out into the cool night air, the relief of escape mixing with a new kind of nervousness.His truck was parked in the back lot, and he unlocked it without a word, and I climbed in, the physical discomfort making me squirm slightly in my seat.The engine rumbled to life, and we pulled out onto the empty street.The silence was immediate and oppressive. I tried to find something to say, anything to break the tension that seemed to fill every inch of space between us."That was fun," I offered weakly.He bobbed his head. "Mm."I smiled tightly and added. "The guys are really great. I'm glad I came.""Good." Was his clipped response. His jaw was set and his eyes were fixed firmly on the road. Whatever openness had existed between us at the bar had vanished, replaced by this cool distance.I fidgeted with my purse, trying to distract myself from both the awkward silence and the increasingly urgent pressure in my b
TARA’S POVI stared at Daniel, my mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. My heart was hammering so hard I was certain everyone could hear it. The silence stretched impossibly long, heavy with expectation.Jeremiah's gaze burned into the side of my face. I could feel it like a physical touch, whatever he was waiting for me to say.Say something! My mind screamed at me. Say anything at all! "Jensen," I blurted out and and the table erupted."Jensen?!" Daniel practically shrieked. "Our Jensen? My dad Jensen?""He has a certain... charm," I stammered, my face burning so hot I probably looked like a tomato. "Despite being, you know, older. There's something refined about him.""Oh my God, she has daddy issues!" Joshua crowed, slapping the table."I do NOT have daddy issues!" I protested, but my voice came out too defensive.Eren was cackling. "Tara likes older men! This is amazing!""I didn't say I liked him, I said he was attractive!” I countered. “There's a difference!"
TARA’S POVI arrived at Coby's Bar with Lolita, the bass from inside already thrumming through the wooden doors. The place had that rustic charm of small-town bars with string lights hanging from the ceiling, a mix of booths and high-top tables, ans the warm glow of amber lighting that made everything feel slightly softer."There's my station," Lolita said, pointing to the bar where another girl was already working. "I'll catch up with you later, okay? Go find your people."I nodded, suddenly nervous now that I would be alone. The dress felt tighter now, and the makeup was like a mask I wasn't sure I could maintain all evening.I scanned the crowd, searching for my team members and finally spotted them in a corner booth near the back. Daniel's distinctive laugh carried over the music. Joshua was gesturing wildly with his hands, clearly in the middle of a story. And there, sitting with his back to the wall, eyes already tracking my approach…Jeremiah.My heart did that stupid skip
TARA’S POVI got home in a daze, barely remembering the walk from the diner. My apartment door closed behind me with a soft click, and I just stood there for a moment before collapsing onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling.What had I just done?I replayed the entire scene all over again in my head, especially Jason’s confession and my response, my heart was racing all over againA high-pitched scream tore from my mouth before I could help it and I kicked my legs in the air like a teenager who was just asked to prom."Oh my God," I cried aloud, pressing my hands to my burning cheeks. "You broke your no-dating rule. You absolute idiot. You swore you wouldn't do this again."But then Jason's face flashed in my mind and the expression on his face when asked me. I wasn’t sure I would forget the way his whole face had lit up when I said yes. My heart did that stupid skip thing again."Something is definitely wrong with me," I muttered.A knock at my door made me bolt upright, smoothing
"What's wrong?" Heat was starting to creep up my cheeks as they continued laughing, and I didn't fancy the way they were staring at me, almost like I reminded them of a cute puppy. "We don't call him that," Joshua provided in between laughs, shaking his head fondly. "No one calls him that." Jere
The town hall project had everyone working overtime. They had even brought in extra workers from an agency, and right now they were outside drilling into materials, the sound echoing through the trailer. It was my lunch break, so I wandered to the small kitchenette to make coffee. Someone had left
"Anyways, why are you here?"Hope sprung in my chest, I was already off to a good start, I just had to make a lasting impression. I opened my mouth to explain when the door behind him swung open. My smile crumbled as Jeremiah Finch emerged, his broad frame filling the doorway.Those damn blue eyes
I was so excited, I could barely sleep through the night. The moment my alarm buzzed, I was already out of the bed and heading towards the bathroom. Once I was done dressing, I stepped out of the apartment and then the main building. The morning air was crisp, and the sky was still a dark blue col







