Chapter 100: Hundred

I had grabbed my things and was slipping my bag onto my shoulder when I caught sight of him. Jacob. Standing in the lobby of my office, his tall frame cutting through the crowd of employees trickling out into the evening. My breath caught in my throat. He wasn’t supposed to be here.

And then, just a few feet away, I saw Declan.

The world seemed to slow in that awful, inevitable way it sometimes does. It was like I was watching two cars drifting toward collision and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Oh God.

Why was he here?

Was he going to confront Declan? Say something to him? No. No. No. What if Jacob found out about the kiss? God, what was this mess I had gotten into.

I hurried towards Jacob, my steps quick as I almost ran, hoping to control the situation and take him away from here before they spoke. I reached his side, taking his hand, looking up at him.

Declan’s gaze flicked from me to Jacob, recognition dawning in his eyes. Jacob’s jaw tightened, His smile was sharp and cold and humorless. They both moved toward each other.

“Jacob, hey,” I said quickly, forcing brightness into my voice, trying to intercept them. My heart was pounding. “What a surprise.”

Jacob didn’t look at me. His eyes were locked on Declan. But his grip on my hand tightened as he intertwined our fingers.

“Dr. Ashwell,” he said, extending a hand. “Long time.” His tone was polite, but the words carried a weight, a warning.

Declan’s expression was unreadable, calm in a way that only made me more uneasy. He reached out and shook Jacob’s hand. “Jacob. Long time, indeed.”

There it was. No hostility, not outright. Just two men, standing in the middle of my world, sizing each other up. The handshake lingered a second too long, grip tighter than necessary. A silent battle.

I stepped forward, my voice sharp this time. “Okay. We should go.”

Declan glanced at me briefly, then back to Jacob, his lips twitching into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “It was good meeting you.” He nodded once and stepped away, his shoulders stiff as he walked out into the parking lot.

Jacob exhaled slowly, as though steadying himself. He finally turned to me. “Let’s go.”

The car ride was heavy, the silence pressing down on me. I twisted my fingers together in my lap, watching the city blur past the window, my thoughts spiraling.

Finally, Jacob spoke. “I don’t like him around you.” His voice was low, steady, but his knuckles were white on the steering wheel. “I don’t like the way he looks at you.”

I swallowed hard. “Jacob.”

“No.” He cut me off, his tone harder now. “I saw it. I saw the way he looks at you, Willow. Like you’re… his.” His jaw clenched. “And I don’t blame him. You’re beautiful. And I know you have history. But he doesn’t get to do that. Not with my fiancée.”

I turned to face him, my pulse quickening. “He is just a colleague, now. That’s all.”

Jacob gave a humorless laugh. “You really believe that?” His eyes flicked to me before snapping back to the road. “You really think I didn’t notice whatever weird tension the two of you had just now?”

I flinched, guilt flooding me even though I hadn’t said anything wrong yet. “Jacob. Please, you’re overthinking this. I told you everything.”

His grip on the wheel tightened again. “Then prove it.”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

He slowed at a red light, finally turning to look at me. His gaze was dark, intense, filled with something I couldn’t quite name. Disdain. “Quit your job.”

The words landed like a slap. “What?”

“You don’t need to be there. You don’t need him around you every day. I make enough to support us. You could find something else. Something safer, something that doesn’t put you in… situations. Maybe something that allows more time with Noah.”

I stared at him, my chest burning. “Jacob, are you serious? That job means everything to me. The projects, the people. I’ve worked hard for this.” I paused, staring at him. “You know that.”

His voice rose. “And I’ve worked hard too, Willow. Hard enough that you don’t need to worry about working. I can take care of you and Noah.”

“That’s not the point,” I shot back, heat rushing through me now. “I don’t want to be taken care of. I want to work. I want to do something that matters. You can’t just decide that for me.”

The light turned green, but he didn’t move right away. His eyes were locked on mine, stormy and unyielding. Finally, he pressed the accelerator, the car lurching forward.

“You don’t understand what this feels like,” he muttered, his voice quieter now but no less tense. “To know that man is near you, every single day, watching you, probably waiting for you to slip.” He exhaled sharply. “I can’t… I can’t live like that.”

My throat tightened. “Jacob, I can’t give up my life just because you’re insecure about him.”

His head snapped toward me, anger flashing. “Insecure? I’m not insecure, Willow. I just know what he wants. And I won’t let him take what’s mine.”

His words stung, sharp and possessive. I turned away, staring out the window, trying to blink back the sudden prick of tears in my eyes.

We drove the rest of the way in silence, both of us simmering, both of us retreating into our corners of the car like strangers. When we finally pulled up outside the building, I pushed the door open before he could say anything else.

I stepped out, the evening air cool against my flushed skin, my chest still tight from the fight. I didn’t look back as I walked toward the entrance, my heels clicking against the pavement, my mind spiraling.

I loved Jacob. I did. But in that moment, all I could feel was the weight of his demand, pressing down on me like a cage. And for the first time, I wondered what it meant that I couldn’t even imagine saying yes.