All Chapters of Pen & Passion: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

132 Chapters

1Most of All

I went to the bathroom. However, what I did not expect, was that he followed suit and watched me, as if seeing if I was okay.My reflection in the mirrored wall looked pale, eyes rimmed red, lips swollen from a kiss I shouldn’t have allowed.Joaquin stood beside me, calm as ever, hands in his pockets, gaze fixed forward. He hadn’t said another word after that. Not after that kiss. Not after I pushed him away.And I hated myself for it.Because the taste of him still lingered, and my heart was still beating as if he were holding me against his desk, whispering my name like a prayer.But instead, here I was, arms crossed, chest tight, suffocating in silence.The doors slid open. He stepped out first, striding down the hallway with his usual controlled grace. I followed, clutching my bag like it was the only thing tethering me to the ground.Inside the apartment, the city lights bled through the windows, bathing the living room in soft gold. I stopped by the door, watching as Joaquin shru

Last Updated : 2025-09-01

Wanted that Clarity

The pad was too quiet.Too quiet for the storm clawing inside my chest.I’d slipped out of the bedroom, hoping that moving—anything—might keep my thoughts from spiraling back to the dance, to the way Joaquin carried me in front of everyone like I was fragile glass, to the weight of his arms that had felt both real and unreal.But instead of peace, I found Javier.He was lounging on the living room couch like he owned the place, dark slacks and a plain shirt half-untucked, a glass of whiskey balanced carelessly in his hand. The TV glowed with something he wasn’t even watching. He looked up as soon as I entered, that damned smirk tugging at his mouth.“Well, well,” he drawled, lifting the glass slightly. “The runaway princess is back. Couldn’t sleep?”I froze for a heartbeat, then exhaled sharply and turned toward the kitchen. “Don’t start, Javi. I’m not in the mood.”“Not in the mood for what? My company? My charm?” His tone was teasing, but his eyes followed me with an intensity that w

Last Updated : 2025-09-02

A Fleeting Moment

The bookstore was already buzzing when we arrived.Bright lights, a sea of faces, the air thick with the scent of paper and ink. Joaquin’s latest novel had just hit the shelves, and the turnout for his signing was overwhelming. Fans lined up against the walls, clutching copies of his book to their chests, their chatter a constant hum.I’d attended plenty of his events before even when I was still Jessy’s editor. But today was different. Today, I wasn’t just Haven, his editor. I was Haven, Joaquin’s fiancée.And I hated how much my heart raced because of it.“Ready?” Joaquin asked beside me, his voice pitched low enough that only I could hear.He looked maddeningly composed. Gray suit perfectly fitted, silver tie knotted just so, his dark hair swept back with casual elegance. Not a hint of nerves showed in his face, though his hand brushed mine with the faintest graze.I jolted at the contact, but he didn’t withdraw. Instead, he laced his fingers through mine as if it were the most natu

Last Updated : 2025-09-03

Breaking All of Us

The ride home from the signing was suffocating.The city lights flickered past the tinted windows, but all I could feel was the ghost of Joaquin’s words echoing inside me. None of it was just for show.They replayed over and over, sinking deeper with every repetition, until my chest was tight and my lungs refused to fill properly.When we stepped into the bachelor pad, Javier wasn’t around—thank God. The silence made the air heavier, though, stretching taut between Joaquin and me as he hung his jacket on the back of a chair and loosened his tie. I stood by the couch, still clutching my bag like it could anchor me.Finally, I spoke, the words ripping out of me before I could second-guess them. “You can’t keep giving me half of you while the other half belongs to her. Don’t make me repeat myself over and over, I already sound desperate and it hurts my pride.”The sound of his name caught him mid-motion. His hands stilled on the tie, his head turning toward me slowly. “Haven…”“No.” My vo

Last Updated : 2025-09-04

All Three of Us

The pad was quiet when I padded out of my room, the clock blinking close to midnight. I couldn’t sleep—not after the fight with Joaquin. My head throbbed with every replay of his words, his hesitation, the way he looked like he was being torn apart from the inside.I wanted peace. Just a glass of water, maybe some silence.But then I saw him.Javier.He sat on the couch in the living room, a tumbler of amber liquid in his hand. The dim lamplight caught on the sharp lines of his face, the scars of a man who’d lived a hundred lives since the boy I knew. Normally, he’d greet me with some sly remark, a smirk that made me want to roll my eyes.Not tonight.He looked… tired. Raw. His dark eyes lifted to mine, and for once, there was no teasing in them. Just something heavy, something that made my steps falter.“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, voice roughened by the drink.I shook my head, hugging my arms around myself as I crossed the room. “You either?”A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. “Sl

Last Updated : 2025-09-05

The Only Heartbeat

By the time Jessy’s headlights swept across the street, I was hugging my knees on the curb like some runaway teenager. My heels dangled from my hand, my toes freezing against the concrete, but I couldn’t bring myself to move until I saw her car.The second she parked, Jessy jumped out, hair in a messy bun, hoodie thrown over her pajamas. Her eyes widened at the sight of me. “Haven? What the hell—”I didn’t even let her finish. My throat cracked as I whispered, “Can I stay with you tonight?”Her expression softened instantly. No sass, no questions. She just wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into the warmth of her hoodie. “Of course, dummy. Come on.”Inside, her apartment was its usual cozy chaos—books stacked on the coffee table, half-empty mug of tea on the counter, a throw blanket slung over the back of the couch. She shoved the books aside and guided me down, sitting cross-legged in front of me.“Okay.” Her eyes searched my face, sharp but gentle. “Talk. What happened? Because

Last Updated : 2025-09-08

Tasted Like Guilt

The pad felt too quiet when I let myself back in the next morning. My bag was still slung over my shoulder from Jessy’s, the faint smell of her coffee clinging to my clothes.I told myself to be calm. Normal. I’d left because I needed space—nothing more, nothing less.But the second I shut the door behind me, I knew normal wasn’t possible.Joaquin was sitting on the couch, still in the same shirt he’d worn last night, sleeves rolled up, hair slightly mussed. His laptop was open on the coffee table, but the screen was black, untouched.He hadn’t slept.His eyes lifted the moment he heard me, relief flashing across his face so quickly it almost broke me. “You’re back.”I swallowed hard, forcing a small smile. “Yeah. Sorry. I… I stayed at Jessy’s.”“I know.” His voice was even, but low. “You texted. Still—” he exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck “—I couldn’t stop worrying.”Guilt lodged deep in my chest, heavy and sour. He didn’t know where I’d really been before Jessy’s. Didn’t

Last Updated : 2025-09-10

Branded Themselves

The quiet of Joaquin’s office was exactly what I’d asked for—just me, a stack of manuscripts, and silence. No eyes on me. No brothers breathing down my neck, intentionally or not.But my head wasn’t cooperating. Every time I tried to focus on a paragraph, my mind drifted. To Joaquin’s gray eyes when he asked if he was losing me. To Javier’s mouth on mine, and the way guilt and longing had tangled so tightly I couldn’t tell them apart anymore.I pressed my palms against my temples, exhaling sharply. “Work, Haven. Focus.”The door creaked open.I didn’t even need to look up. Only one person walked into a room with that kind of reckless ease.“Busy, Venny?” Javier’s voice was low, teasing—but softer than usual.I set the manuscript down, bracing myself. “What do you want, Javi?”He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his bare forearms, his shirt sleeves rolled up. For once, though, he wasn’t smirking like the devil who lived to make me squirm. His eyes were… gentler.“I wanted

Last Updated : 2025-09-10

More Real

Two weeks passed.Two weeks of keeping my head down, forcing myself to breathe, to write, to focus.The first few days had been unbearable, the silence of my thoughts constantly circling back to that night—to Javier’s words, his honesty, the kiss I couldn’t forget even if I tried.But somewhere between drowning in manuscripts and staring at my laptop screen until my eyes blurred, I found a rhythm.Work. Tea. Sleep. Repeat.It wasn’t glamorous, but it steadied me.Joaquin, too, seemed to find his balance again. Our interactions became clean, professional. When he needed to discuss manuscripts, he came to me, voice calm, clipped, like a boss with his editor. He didn’t linger. He didn’t push. And oddly enough, that steadiness was exactly what I needed.It reminded me why I was here in the first place. My dream. My writing.And then—like the universe had decided I deserved some kindness—Joaquin began reading my work too.“You’ve got good bones here,” he said one afternoon, holding a printo

Last Updated : 2025-09-11

Nostalgic

I took a final look in the mirror, smoothed down the hem of my dress, and inhaled deeply. Tonight wasn’t just any dinner—it was my first date with Joaquin. And no matter how much I tried to convince myself it was “just dinner,” the butterflies in my stomach weren’t buying it.As I made my way down the stairs, the low murmur of voices drifted up. I slowed, recognizing them instantly.Joaquin. Javier.My heels paused against the step. It wasn’t like me to eavesdrop, but something in their tones made me linger, leaning ever so slightly against the banister.“Take a breather for once,” Joaquin was saying, voice edged with that quiet authority he carried so effortlessly. “You look like hell. Haven’t you slept properly in days?”“Don’t start,” Javier muttered, dismissive. “You sound like an old man. I’m fine.”“You’re not. You keep running yourself ragged. Even you have limits.”Silence stretched, broken only by the faint clink of glass—Javier probably nursing one of his late-night drinks ag

Last Updated : 2025-09-12

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