Chapter 33

Chapter 33
Jason's POV

I was sitting at the kitchen counter with my laptop open, scrolling through work emails I wasn’t really reading. A half-empty mug of coffee sat beside me, long gone cold. Elena had gone to bed an hour ago, and the apartment had that late-night quiet that usually helped me think.

It wasn’t working.

My phone buzzed against the granite. I almost ignored it. Then I saw Chase’s name.

Chase: Blake’s back in Boston.
Chase: Saw her tonight at the bakery.

My chest tightened instantly. I stared at the screen like it might rearrange itself into something less dangerous. Four years, and her name still hit the same place every time.

She’s back.

A dozen questions flooded my head at once, and my thumbs moved before I could stop them.

Jason: What?
Jason: When?
Jason: How long is she here?

The dots appeared, disappeared.

Chase: Just got in today.
Chase: Not sure how long.
Chase: She came with her dad and your mom. I'm surprised she didn't say anything

Blake was back in Boston.

Four years since I’d seen her in person. Four years since Florida. Since I told myself walking away was the only way to make sure she got everything she deserved. She was a doctor now. I’d heard that much through the years. Penn State. Med school. Residency acceptances. She did exactly what I knew she would. That didn’t stop the regret from creeping in. I told myself it was for her own good. That if I stayed, I would’ve only made things harder. That she needed someone steady. Someone without ghosts. Didn’t change the fact that the thought of her breathing the same air as me again made my pulse spike.

I opened our text thread.

Four years of silence stared back at me.

I typed before I could overthink it.

Jason: Hi

Nothing.

I waited a full minute before sending the next one.

Jason: How are you
Jason: How long are you in town for?

Still nothing.

I checked the time. 11:07 PM.

If she’d been at the bakery earlier, maybe she’d already left. Or maybe—I was on my feet before I finished the thought.

The bakery was dark when I got there. Lights off. Chairs stacked. The sign flipped to Closed.

I stood there longer than made sense, like if I waited hard enough, something would change. It didn’t.

I swallowed and turned toward the side entrance, climbing the steps to the apartment above. My hand hesitated before knocking.

Too late now. I knocked anyway.

A few seconds passed. Then a shuffle. Then the door cracked open.

Chase blinked at me, clearly half-asleep. “Jason?” His eyes flicked to the hallway behind me. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Sorry,” I said quickly. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Charlie’s asleep,” he cut in. “And so is my wife.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” I repeated, though I didn’t really feel it. Not completely.

Chase sighed and opened the door wider, stepping into the hallway and pulling it shut behind him.

“What’s going on?” he asked, rubbing his face. “Did something happen?”

“I texted her,” I said. Chase stilled. “Blake,” I added, like there was any confusion.

Chase looked at me for a long moment. “Okay.”

“I thought she might still be here,” I said. “I thought maybe—”

“She left,” he said flatly. “Went home with her parents.”

The disappointment hit harder than I expected. “Oh,” I muttered.

Chase crossed his arms. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I just wanted to know,” I said. “I just wanted to see if she was okay.”

He snorted quietly. “You already know she is.”

I glanced down the hall, my mind already running ahead. Her house wasn’t far. It wouldn’t be weird to stop by. I could say I was checking on my mom. I could—

“Don’t,” Chase said, like he’d read my thoughts.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to.” He shook his head. “Jason, you can’t do this. Not now.”

“I’m not trying to start anything,” I said. “I just—”

“You’re engaged,” he reminded me. “And Blake’s been gone four years. You made your choice.”

“I know,” I said. “I know.”

“And she paid for it,” he added quietly. “You don’t get to reopen that door just because she’s back.” The words landed because they were true.

Chase softened slightly. “Go home,” he said. “Be with your fiancée.” I nodded once, even though every part of me resisted it.

“Sorry,” I said again.

He sighed. “Goodnight, man.”

I walked home slower than I’d walked there.

Blake's POV

I didn’t answer.

Not because I didn’t want to.
Because I didn’t know how.

I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, phone resting on my chest, Jason’s name glowing on the screen like it still had the right to rearrange my thoughts.

How are you.
How long are you in town.

Simple questions. Loaded ones. If I answered one, I’d answer everything.

I turned onto my side, hugging a pillow, my mind drifting places I didn’t want it to go. I wondered what Elena looked like. She was probably blonde—I didn’t know why that was the first image that came to mind. Tall. Easy. Someone who fit into his life without friction. Someone who didn’t ask him to choose.

My phone buzzed again. I inhaled sharply and looked.

Jason: Goodnight

That one felt different.

Not demanding. Not pushing. Just… there. I smiled before I could stop myself.

Then I typed back.

Blake: Goodnight

I set my phone facedown and closed my eyes. For the first time since landing in Boston, sleep came easily.

And Jason, once again, was the last thing I thought about before drifting off.