Chapter 156 156
“You must be Jacqueline,” the man said.
She gave him a sideways look.
“So I’m famous in this town without ever stepping outside the house?” she mused dryly.
A smirk tugged at his mouth. “Not exactly. Dominique mentioned you.”
He leaned casually against the doorway, but there was nothing careless about the way he observed her.
“It’s not normal for Damien to keep a girl around,” Alexandre continued, voice turning serious. “Let alone involve himself in someone else’s situation.”
She almost snorted.
Well, that part tracks. The man is a brooding gorilla. Who would willingly approach that storm cloud?
“He’s not home,” she informed him. “He went to the hospital with my brother.”
When he didn’t question her further, she understood. He already knew something. Maybe not everything but enough.
“Do you want coffee?” she asked quickly, hoping he would say yes. If he left, the silence would swallow her whole. And her thoughts were not good company.
“Sure.”
“I’ll take that as a rescue mission,” she muttered under her breath as she walked into the kitchen.
She began preparing coffee for two while he took a seat on one of the bar stools. His elbows rested on the island counter, fingers loosely intertwined as he watched her thoughtfully.
She felt his gaze.
“What are you staring at?” she shot over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes at him.
He immediately raised his hands in mock surrender. “Not what you’re thinking,” he chuckled.
She huffed and went back to pouring the coffee into two mugs.
She handed one to him and leaned against the counter near the fridge, facing him.
“Thanks,” he said quietly before taking a sip.
A brief silence passed.
“So,” he began, clearly trying to make conversation, “how do you like it here?”
She didn’t sugarcoat it. “Honestly? It’s monotonous.”
He studied her over the rim of his cup. “I’m guessing that’s not about the house.”
A reluctant smile curved her lips. “You guessed right. It’s about him. He’s permanently brooding.”
Alexandre laughed softly.
“He wasn’t always like this,” he said, voice dipping into memory.
Her attention sharpened instantly. “What was he like?”
Hope slipped into her tone before she could stop it.
He stared into his coffee for a second. “Like any other normal guy. Loving. Protective. We were four inseparable. We grew up together. It was… good. We had fun.”
“Four?” she asked carefully.
“Me. Dominique. Damien. And Gabrielle.”
The name landed like a quiet blow.
“Gabrielle?” she repeated.
“Yeah. She was Damien’s” He cut himself off abruptly.
But it was too late.
Understanding bloomed, heavy and uncomfortable.
Gabrielle.
His ex.
His childhood friend. Maybe more than that. Maybe his first love.
A tightness formed in her throat.
How do you walk away from someone who has loved you for years?
For the first time, she truly felt the depth of Damien’s pain and something inside her shifted. The desire to see him smile again, genuinely smile, grew stronger.
“Are you hungry?” Alexandre asked suddenly, clearly steering away from dangerous territory.
She blinked, pulling herself back to the present. Then she nodded.
“I can order pizza.”
Her eyes lit up immediately. “You will?”
He glanced at her from his phone with an amused brow. “Sure.”
He placed the order while she waited with barely contained excitement. She hadn’t touched fast food since arriving here.
They talked while waiting or rather, she talked. She rambled about her friends, about pranks and inside jokes, about the chaos she missed. Alexandre listened patiently, nodding occasionally, offering a quiet comment here and there.
When the doorbell rang, he went to answer it.
“Beta,” the delivery guy greeted him.
Alexandre nodded, paid, and returned with the box.
He placed it in front of her and gave her a silent go-ahead.
She didn’t hesitate.
“This is so good,” she declared around a mouthful of pizza.
He watched her with mild amusement.
“I’ve noticed something about you.”
She raised her brows, silently asking what.
“You talk. A lot.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically. “You sound like Gilles.”
He looked confused for a second before recalling she had mentioned that name earlier.
“So,” she said suddenly, narrowing her eyes playfully at him, “are you single?”
A slow smirk spread across his face as he cocked a brow. “Interested?”
Even he looked like he regretted how cheesy that sounded.
She scoffed. “No. I’ve already got my eyes on someone else. You could say I’ve officially lost my mind.”
She winked.
Understanding flashed across his face, and they both burst into laughter.
“What is happening here?”
The growl cut through the air like a blade.
Jacqueline jerked violently, nearly sliding off the stool. If not for her grip on the counter, she would have fallen. Her heart slammed painfully against her ribs.
Damien stood in the doorway.
He looked furious.
Then again, he usually did.
“We’re eating pizza,” she replied brightly, as though nothing was wrong. “Alexandre was being considerate.”
Damien’s eyes narrowed before shifting to Alexandre.
Something unspoken passed between them sharp and charged.
A silent clash.
Alexandre slid off the stool.
“See you around, friend,” he said to Jacqueline, holding out his fist.
She grinned and bumped it enthusiastically.
Damien’s jaw tightened.
“Let’s go,” he barked at Alexandre.
Without another word, they left together.
A moment later, Mathieu peeked into the kitchen, nose scrunched.
“I smell pizza,” he announced before even seeing her.
When his gaze landed on the box, his face lit up.
“I’m starving,” he declared dramatically, patting his stomach.
He reached for a slice, but she intercepted him.
“Wash your hands first.”
He groaned loudly but obeyed, rushing to the sink and scrubbing quickly before hopping onto the stool.
“Who was that guy?” Mathieu asked between bites.
“Damien’s friend,” she replied.
She watched him for a second before asking gently, “So? How was the hospital?”
He shrugged and gave her only the bare minimum.
“You can ask Damien what the doctor said.”
And just like that, the room felt heavy again.