Meanwhile, Mark wasn’t doing much better on his end.
After his "accidental" meeting with Rachel, he found himself pacing his apartment like a lunatic.
He shouldn’t be thinking about her laugh.
Or the way her eyes sparkled when she was plotting mischief.
Or how she called him out without fear like no one else ever dared.
Focus, man, he told himself.
This is about Julian. About fixing the mess.
Not about some fiery, gorgeous woman who made him forget the rest of the world when she smiled.
Still, he couldn’t stop replaying the afternoon in his mind.
And when Julian texted him later — a rare, dry "thanks for checking in" — Mark decided right then and there:
He wasn’t giving up.
Not on Julian.
Not on Lexi.
Maybe... not even on Rachel.
Two days later, their next "accidental" collis
