Chapter 12%
The week with Jared felt like a dream where reality blurred at the edges. And for once, I didn’t mind losing myself in it.
The moment we landed, I had expected our paths to diverge. After all, he hadn’t told me why he was really on this trip, whether it was planned or just a coincidence. But Jared stayed. He booked the room next to mine, joined me for breakfast each morning, and somewhere between exploring the city streets and late–night conversations over wine. It stopped feeling like an accident that we were here together.
For the first time in years, I let myself enjoy the moment. I let myself laugh freely, breathe without the weight of expectations crushing me, and exist without being tied to someone else’s version of me.
Jared made it easy.%
He didn’t push, didn’t pry, didn’t demand more than what I was willing to give. But when the moment finally came, when I was ready to lay it all out, I found myself wanting to tell him everything.”
We were sitting on a secluded beach. The ocean stretched endlessly before us. And the waves licked at the shore in a rhythmic whisper. The sun had begun its descent, staining the sky in shades of orange and pink. It was beautiful, almost poetic. How the universe chose to give me this moment of clarity after so much darkness./
I drew in a deep breath. “I was married for years to a man who never really saw me.”
Jared didn’t react right away. He simply shifted slightly with his gaze still on the horizon, listening. Always listening.2
I let the words spill out. The truth I had been carrying for so long. “Jairus and I… we started out like every couple does, I suppose. Full of promise, full of love. But it faded. Or maybe it was never really there the way I thought it was.”
Jared turned his head then. “What happened?”
I exhaled slowly. “He wanted an heir. I wanted a family. But we couldn’t have one. At least, that’s what I thought for years. He let me believe it was my fault, let me take on the burden of feeling like I had failed him. Until I found out the truth. It was never me. It was him.”
Jared’s jaw tensed. But he stayed quiet.?
“And then there was Katie,” I continued. “The woman who was always in the background, always lingering. I ignored it for a long time, made excuses, convinced myself that I was imagining things. Until I wasn’t. Until she made sure I knew my place in Jairus’s life.”
Jared let out a sharp breath. “And he let her?“%
I nodded. Then a humorless smile tugged at my lips. “He more than let her. He paraded her. And when I finally decided I was done, he refused to let me go. Refused to sign the papers, as if I owed him something.”
Jared muttered something under his breath. Something I didn’t catch. But the anger rolling off him was clear.
“He’s a fool,” he said finally. “A man so obsessed with his own importance that he couldn’t see what was right in front of him.“%
I tilted my head as I watched him. “And what was that?“>
His gaze met mine. The intensity of it sent warmth curling through my chest. “You.”
Silence stretched between us. Then Jared chuckled as he shook his head. “And Katie? She’s nothing more than a gold–digger. Jairus thinks he won, but trust me, Vanessa. He lost. He lost everything the moment he let you go.“>
I swallowed as I played with the hem of my dress. “And what about you? What do you think you’ve won?“?
Jared didn’t hesitate. He reached out. Then he brushed his fingers lightly against mine. “A chance.“}
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “A chance for what?“”
His hand tightened around mine. “A chance to be with you. A chance to show you that you never have to be someone’s second choice again.”%
Something inside me cracked. But it wasn’t painful. It was freeing.”
I had spent years waiting for love to feel like this. Like something simple. Something that didn’t require me to shrink myself just to be worthy of it.
I smiled softly. “Are you confessing something, Jared Williams?“}
He smirked. “That depends. If I am, what’s your answer?“}
I pretended to consider it by tilting my head. “I suppose I could give you a chance.”
His eyes sparkled with something mischievous. “Just a chance?“}
I laughed, then squeezed his hand. “For now.”
Jared didn’t push for more. Instead, he lifted my hand and pressed a lingering kiss to my knuckles, sealing whatever this was between us.
