Chapter 4: The Past and the Present
873 Words
A Call from the Past
Alodia sat at the kitchen table, her fingers gripping her coffee cup tightly. She had barely slept, her mind tangled in the events of last night. Jasper’s touch, his words, the way she had let herself fall so easily into his arms.
She exhaled sharply and unlocked her phone, staring at Raegan’s message.
Raegan: I need to talk to you. It’s important.
Her heart clenched. What could be so important now?
She hesitated, then typed back:
Alodia: I’m free this afternoon. Meet me at the park?
Almost immediately, he replied.
Raegan: See you there.
She set her phone down, staring blankly at the countertop.
What was she doing?
She had promised herself she wouldn’t look back when she left Raegan. Their marriage had been over long before she walked away.
But now, something in his voice—in his urgency—felt different.
And she wasn’t sure she was ready for what he had to say.
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A Familiar Face, A Different Feeling
The afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the park as Alodia approached their meeting spot. It was the same park where they had once brought their children, back when they were still a family—before everything fell apart.
And there he was.
Raegan stood by the bench, hands in his pockets, his dark hair slightly disheveled. He still looked the same—tall, broad-shouldered, with that quiet intensity in his eyes.
But when he turned and met her gaze, she felt it immediately.
Something had changed.
“Hey,” he said.
Alodia swallowed and forced a small smile. “Hey.”
They sat in silence for a moment, neither quite sure how to start.
Then, Raegan spoke.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about us.”
Her heart stuttered. Not this. Not now.
“Raegan—”
“I know things ended badly,” he cut in, his voice low, rough. “I know I wasn’t what you needed. And I get why you left.”
She looked away, guilt creeping into her chest.
“But I also know that I still love you.”
Alodia’s breath caught.
Raegan leaned forward, his eyes searching hers. “And I want us to try again. For the kids. For us.”
Her hands trembled.
Why now? Why, when she had already done the unthinkable with Jasper?
And more importantly…
Why wasn’t her answer an immediate no?
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A Conflicted Heart
Alodia’s breath felt trapped in her chest. Raegan still loved her?
She searched his face for hesitation, for doubt—but there was none. His dark eyes held nothing but sincerity, and that made it even harder to breathe.
“Raegan…” she started, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” he said quickly. “I’m not asking for an answer right now. I just—I want us to think about it. The kids miss us being together. And honestly? I miss you.”
Her heart twisted.
Once, she had dreamed of hearing those words. She had begged for them. But now, when he was finally saying them, **she felt nothing but fear.
Because she wasn’t the same woman who had walked away.
She had crossed a line she couldn’t uncross.
And she didn’t know how to tell him that.
“I don’t know, Raegan,” she said, shaking her head. “Things are different now.”
“I know,” he admitted. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t fix what’s broken.”
If only he knew.
If only he knew that just last night, she had been tangled in the sheets with another man.
A married man.
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A Dangerous Game
When Alodia returned to Jasper’s penthouse that evening, she told herself it was only for work.
But deep down, she knew that was a lie.
She needed to see him.
To remind herself why she had made the choice she did.
Jasper was pouring himself a drink when she entered. He looked up, his gaze immediately locking onto hers.
“You came back,” he murmured.
She swallowed hard. “I work for you.”
He smirked, stepping closer. “That’s not why you’re here.”
Alodia’s pulse raced.
“Jasper—”
Before she could finish, he reached out, his fingers trailing over her wrist. A shiver ran down her spine.
“You’re running from something,” he murmured. “Tell me what it is.”
She clenched her jaw. “It’s nothing.”
Jasper tilted his head. “Raegan?”
Her breath hitched.
“I saw the way you looked this morning,” he continued, his voice softer now. “You weren’t just running from me—you were running toward something else.”
Alodia closed her eyes. “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”
Jasper stepped even closer, his warmth suffocating.
“Yes, you do,” he whispered.
Then, without giving her a chance to stop him, he kissed her.
And just like before, she didn’t pull away.
Because for all the guilt, all the confusion—Jasper was the one thing that made her feel alive.
Even if it meant destroying everything else in the process.
- Writer
