Five years later; Jake is my stepbrother

Ashley's POV

Five years later.

I stepped out of the same airport I walked into five years ago, clutching my suitcase tightly in my hand.

My shoulders relaxed and a small smile formed on my lips as my eyes darted around, breathing in the crisp spring air of New York.

It felt good to be back in New York… but it hurt more than I expected.

I shouldn’t have thought of Jake the moment I stepped out, but I did.

Just the thought of him was enough to ruin the peace I was pretending to feel.

My gaze landed on the spot we had last stood in. Where I had walked out on him.

But that was now in the past, and I had already moved on from it.

“Excuse me, ma’am, you must be Miss Ashley,” a man dressed in a uniform said, his voice pulling me from my thoughts.

I turned to him and returned his warm smile.

“Yes,” I gave a slight nod.

“I’m Adrian, your mother sent me here to pick you up.” He stepped forward and stretched out his hand for a handshake.

I studied him for a moment. He looked too young to be a driver but I shook his hand anyway, his grip firm and polite, and we both headed to the car.

When we got there, he loaded my suitcase into the trunk with a soft thud while I slipped into the passenger’s seat, the leather cool against my skin.

After he was done, he got in, started the car, and drove away from the airport.

I looked out the window as the city blurred past, yellow cabs inching forward, people walking on the sidewalks, the glow of traffic lights reflecting off windshields.

The whole place felt untouched by time. Still the same restless pulse of evening rush hour, loud and alive, like it had been waiting for me to return.

I took out my phone from my purse and dialed William's number.

He came for a business trip in New York and promised to come to meet my mother today.

“Hello babe, I'm guessing you've arrived New York,” his voice came through, slightly crackling over the line.

“Yeah,” I replied, leaning back against the leather seat, the faint scent of the car’s air freshener filling my nose. “Where are you?”

“I'll round up and come ASAP. Just text me the address, okay.” His tone was quick and distracted, papers shuffling faintly in the background.

“Okay.”

The call ended with a soft click. I asked the driver for the home address of where we were going. He told me, and I typed it out.

When I hit the send button, I let out a slow breath and placed my phone face down on my lap.

My thoughts drifted back to Jake again. I stared out the window, watching the blur of passing streets, wondering if he was still in New York… if he had moved on. If he laughed the same way. If he still even remembered me.

I swallowed and looked away.

I wasn't supposed to be in New York anyway, but my mom's wedding brought me back here. She had found a new love of her life.

The car slowed as iron gates creaked open, the sound dragging slightly in the quiet evening. Gravel crunched beneath the tires as we drove in and came to a stop in front of a breathtaking mansion.

The sky above glowed in soft hues of orange and purple, the last light of the evening clinging to the edges of the building.

The compound was spacious and the one-story building sitting right at the center.

The door opened, and cool evening air brushed against my skin as I stepped out.

The first person my eyes landed on was my mother.

She stood by the front door, arms wrapped tightly around herself, like she had been holding something in for too long. Her lips twitched, the corners fighting to stay down, but the moment I started walking toward her, it broke.

“Oh my sweet baby.”

Her arms opened wide.

My vision blurred instantly as I rushed forward, my heels clicking faster against the ground. I crashed into her embrace, wrapping my arms around her tightly. She felt warm. Her perfume wrapped around me as her hands pressed firmly against my back.

A tear slipped down before I could stop it.

I held onto her like if I let go, she might disappear again.

It had only been five years but it didn’t feel like it.

When I finally pulled away, I let out a small breath, my hands still resting lightly on her arms.

“You don't look bad, Mom.” My eyes moved over her face, searching. Nothing had changed. Not the smoothness of her skin, not the way she carried herself.

She laughed, the sound light and easy.

“I'm beginning to suspect you had a facelift, Mom,” I whispered, cupping my hand around my mouth as I leaned closer.

“Oh please.” She tapped my hand away, still smiling, and we stepped aside as the driver carried my bags inside.

“All thanks to your stepfather,” she added.

Of course. Stepfather. The word sat oddly in my chest.

When she had told me about the wedding, her voice had been too full of him. How kind he was. How much he had done for her.

“But Mom…” I hesitated, watching her face, then spoke anyway. “Don't you think it's a bit early?”

“Early?” Her brows pulled together.

“I mean…” I shifted slightly. “You literally just met this man two months ago. And you both decided to get married.” I paused, letting the silence stretch for a second.

She let out a short laugh, shaking her head. “We love each other. And we understand each other. There’s nothing early about it.”

I opened my mouth to speak… then closed it.

Her face was glowing and I didn't want to ruin it. So, I looked away.

We walked inside, and the moment I stepped in, the faint scent of polished wood lingered. Decorations were already in place, flowers arranged neatly, fabrics draped carefully, everything almost too perfect.

The wedding was in two days but the whole place already looked ready.

I stood in the living room, my eyes moving slowly over everything, the chandeliers, the soft lighting, the carefully placed furniture until they landed on a single vase placed on a high designer stool just be a corner.

My brows arched. I recognized it. Jake had showed me an exact type his father bought from Italy years ago.

How come it was here?

I tried to dismiss the thought. Anyone could have it.

But then, footsteps echoed faintly.

I turned and saw a figure step into the living room.

My heart stopped.

For a second, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe properly. Everything inside me just went completely still.

My mother’s hand brushed against mine, pulling me a step forward as she walked toward him and wrapped her arms around him easily, naturally, like she had done it a hundred times before.

“Darling… this is Jake Reyes. Your stepbrother.”

Her voice muffled, like I was underwater and the room tilted.

My eyes locked on Jake, refusing to move away.

He stood there, real. Not a memory. Not a thought I could push away.

By the doorway, he had gone still. His shoulders dropped a little, like something had slipped out of his grip. His eyes stayed on mine, unmoving, searching… disbelieving like he had just seen a ghost.

After so long, fate had chosen this way to let us see each other.

And the look in his eyes told me… he wasn’t ready for this either.