WHICH MAN STAYS?
Another message came almost instantly.
James: Tomorrow? Same place. I promise fewer dramatic interruptions. Can’t guarantee better cake, though.
Tomorrow.
The word lingered.
Tomorrow meant facing this house again in the morning. Facing Clara. Facing Liam.
My stomach twisted.
But it also meant something else.
A line drawn.
A choice made.
Tomorrow works, I replied.
This time, when I set the phone down, I didn’t feel quite as hollow.
---
Sleep didn’t come easily.
When it did, it was restless, fragmented—memories and images bleeding into one another. Liam’s face, etched with pain. Clara’s quiet, commanding presence. That kiss. Always that kiss, replaying in cruel, perfect clarity.