JESSICA “What the hell are you doing here, Jasper?!”I barely heard my own voice over the pounding in my chest. My heart shot straight into my throat the second I saw him, standing there like a memory I hadn’t asked for but suddenly needed.Then I turned to Liam.Because why the hell was Jasper in my kitchen?!Liam didn’t flinch. He just gave me that stupid calm smile of his and said, “That..” he pointed a lazy thumb at Jasper, “is what’s going on. He surprised us.”That voice. That smile. Ugh. My wall crumbled on the spot.I looked back at Jasper. His face had changed. More lines, maybe. Or maybe I just hadn’t seen him smile in years. The moment my eyes locked on his, it hit me like a soft punch to the chest.I ran into his arms before my brain could catch up.“God,” I breathed into his shoulder. “I’ve missed you so much.”He held me like he meant it, like he’d been waiting too. His palm rubbed small circles on my back, and for a second, it felt like we were seventeen again, stan
LIAMI tightened my tie in front of the mirror and exhaled through my nose. “Don’t be weird. It’s just Jasper.”But my reflection didn’t buy it.It had been almost two years. Two whole years since I last saw him.The last time was at my mom’s funeral, and even then, we barely talked. Grief had made everything blurry. Even Jasper.I adjusted the knot again. Too tight. Too formal. I pulled it loose and left the top button open. Better. More like me.It’s not that I didn’t want to see him. It’s not even that I didn’t love Jessica. I did. More than anything. But there was this itch in my brain I couldn’t scratch—memories I never asked for but remembered anyway. Like the way Jessica used to light up when Jasper texted her in college. The way she used to say his name when she didn’t know I was listening.Back then, I’d lie awake wondering if she liked him. I’d stare at the ceiling while she dozed beside me, trying not to think about how her phone always buzzed more when he was back in tow
I always tell my friends… when you feel lost, broken, sad, or confused—go home. Not the place. The person. There’s always someone who feels like home. Go to them. Hold them. Let them hold you back. That’s what the last chapter was about—those quiet, breaking moments where we just need to be reminded we’re not alone. That even when life doesn’t make sense, love still can. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading. For feeling with Jessica. For rooting for her. There’s more to come, and I can’t wait to share it with you. With all my love, O.J❤️
JESSICA “Jessica, you’re glowing.”I blinked, fingers barely grazing the loaf of sourdough. “Huh?”“Don’t ‘huh’ me.” My mother tilted her head, lips curving in that sly, all-knowing smirk. “You’re glowing. I mean… pregnancy’s not such a bad thing, yeah?”I nearly dropped the bread.“It’s a fever, Mom.”She raised an eyebrow. “Fever? Oh, darling.”I let out a laugh—loud, disbelieving, and a little cracked around the edges. “Pregnant? God, no.”She didn’t laugh with me. She just stared. That annoying maternal look that didn’t need a DNA test to read your entire life like a diary.I tossed the loaf into the cart with more force than necessary. “Let’s just get what we need, Mom.”Grocery shopping with her had already been enough of a rollercoaster. This? This was a full-on emotional ambush. Definitely not what I had in mind when she’d called that morning saying she wanted to “talk about something important.” This woman just had a way of doing things, huh?We wrapped up fast—too fast, if
JESSICA The first thing I felt was heat—warm, steady, grounding heat. Liam’s arms wrapped around me like a weighted blanket, his chest pressed against my back, rising and falling in slow, even breaths. His scent clung to the sheets... clean soap, warm skin, something faintly woodsy—and for a second, I didn’t want to move. My muscles ached, stiff from falling asleep fully dressed, curled into a ball of nerves and yesterday’s tension.His grip tightened instinctively, like even in sleep, he knew I was about to slip away. He nuzzled the back of my neck with a low groan, breath brushing warm across my skin.“Mmm,” he murmured, half-asleep. “You okay?”I smiled despite myself, eyes still closed. I curled deeper into him, fingers bunching into the soft fabric of his shirt. I didn’t want to wake him, not really. But I needed this. Needed him. The quiet safety of his body around mine, the way he always made space for me without asking.“You didn’t even change out of your clothes,” he mut
JESSICA It was finally the weekend.I didn’t need the alarm. I was already wide awake, sunlight pouring in through the blinds like it had good news to tell me. The sheets were soft. The air smelled like peace. And for once, I didn’t feel like rushing anything. I stretched, slowly, arms over my head like I was reaching for something sweeter than sleep. My body felt warm, rested. My heart felt… light.Liam had left early—claimed it was a work thing. Kissed my forehead, murmured something about not waking me. His cologne still lingered on the pillow next to mine. I didn’t overthink it. Not today.I took my time in the mirror. My hair actually looked good, which felt like a small miracle. I fluffed it a little, added a bit of edge to my curls, then swiped on lip gloss—just gloss. Not lipstick. Not red or nude or matte or smudge-proof. Just something soft and shiny. The kind of effort you make when you’re not trying to impress anyone, just trying to feel like yourself again.And I did.