MasukJORDANThere are moments in my life I wish I could bury so deep that no one would ever find them.Not because I’m ashamed of what happened.Because I’m ashamed of what I did.One of those moments was the day Gwen reached out to me.Gwen Hayes and I were what people would have called a power couple. One wrong seating arrangement in an art class had somehow turned into a full-blown romance.I loved her, and she loved me.And for a while, I genuinely believed we were meant to be.Until we weren't.Six months into our relationship, things started falling apart. We argued over things that shouldn't have mattered. We picked apart each other's flaws. Somehow, every conversation turned into another disagreement, and every disagreement left us a little more exhausted than before.I was frustrated. I was tired.And the worst part was that I had started thinking about ending things.But I couldn't do it.Because no matter how difficult things became, I still loved her.Then the pictures appeared.
ASHLEY/ SELENE “Shit,” Zara exclaimed. “I knew she was going to find out sooner or later.”I didn’t say anything. I simply dropped my bag on the nightstand."I mean, I get why she’s pissed,” Zara continued. “I’d be pissed too if my best friend had been dating my brother and didn’t tell me about it. But I doubt she’ll stay mad at you for long, so just give her some time.”She gently patted my back.“What did Jordan do? You said he was with you when Selene overheard.”“I don’t…” I swallowed hard. “Can you just leave me alone?”Zara looked at me for a moment before nodding.“Okay. Call me if you need anything.”She stepped out of my room, quietly closing the door behind her.I sighed and dropped onto the bed, the weight of the day finally settling over me.This wasn’t how I wanted Selene to find out about my relationship with Jordan. Now, it felt like I had been a terrible friend for hiding something so important from her.And yet, despite the guilt twisting inside me, I couldn’t stop r
SELENEI wrapped my arms around Sebastian, pulling him into a warm embrace.“How was work today?” he asked when I finally eased back.“Hectic.” I sighed, already making my way toward the passenger-side door. “We've been planning for the exhibition. I can't wait for it to be over.”“It'll be over soon,” he assured me as he settled into the driver's seat.“In two weeks,” I reminded him, climbing into the car.I reached into my bag for my phone, but my fingers found everything except what I was looking for.I frowned.Then it hit me.“Shit.”Sebastian glanced at me. “What?”“I left my phone in my office.”I sighed, already reaching for the door handle.“Just give me a minute. I'll be back.”“You sure you don't want me to come with you?”“I'll be back.” I shook my head. “Just wait here.”I stepped out of the car and hurried back toward the building.The office was already quiet when I entered. Most of the lights were off, and Ashley's desk was empty. She had already packed up for the day.
ASHLEY It had been three days since the night I agreed to go on a date with Garrett.The dinner had been nice. Nothing extravagant or overwhelming. We simply talked about his job, our likes and dislikes, and the things we usually wouldn't tell someone we'd only just met. He even told me more about his past relationships.The more I got to know Garrett, the more I realized he wasn't the kind of man I'd initially assumed him to be.He was actually a good guy.And maybe that was why I found myself enjoying his company more than I expected.I just needed to take my mind off Jordan. I needed to stop dwelling on everything that had happened between us and focus on whatever this new thing was that seemed to be brewing between Garrett and me.My phone beeped, pulling me from my thoughts.I picked it up and saw a message from Garrett asking when I'd be done with work.A small smile curved my lips.For the past few days, he'd taken it upon himself to drive me home from work. Even after I'd decl
ASHLEY“Your sister…” I spoke after a long moment of silence. “How… how is she now?”Garrett exhaled slowly and leaned back against the couch, his gaze dropping to the glass in his hand.“She’s good,” he said. “She… she went to therapy, and it really helped. We’ve never really talked about the past.”Something tightened inside my chest.I couldn't stop imagining a younger girl lying on the floor, covered in blood, while Garrett found her like that. The thought alone made my stomach twist.“I really hope she’s okay,” I whispered.“I hope so too.”I nodded, but the movement felt almost mechanical. My mind was still stuck on everything he'd told me.Four years.Four years with Jordan, and somehow there were still pieces of his life I knew nothing about. I had always thought I knew him—his habits, his temper, the things that made him laugh, the things that made him angry.But this?This was an entire part of him I'd never even known existed.“Judging by your reaction, I can tell he never
ASHLEYI stood in front of Garrett’s door, holding a plate of pancakes in my hands.I sighed, glancing back at my own door.I’d already given Zara my word that I would talk to him. If I turned around now, I’d be going back on it.I took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.It rang through the apartment.A few seconds later, the lock clicked, and the door opened.Garrett stood in the doorway wearing a white T-shirt and grey joggers. His gaze dropped to the plate in my hands before returning to my face.“Hi.” I forced my voice to sound casual. “I… I made extra pancakes and thought I’d share.”His expression remained unreadable.Then he started to close the door.“Wait.” I quickly reached out.He stopped, looking at me. “What do you want, Ashley?”I swallowed.“Can I come in?”For a moment, he simply stared at me.Then he stepped aside, silently inviting me in.“Thank you.” I mouthed as I stepped across the threshold.He closed the door behind me.My gaze swept across the apartment, an







