The Biker's Regret: The Enemy I Became.

The man I tried to forget

(Reese)

Moving day was supposed to be simple. I had hired movers, packed light, and chosen the new apartment for one reason only. It was twelve minutes from my office, and I needed those twelve minutes back in my life.

No more sitting in the back of a car watching traffic crawl while a meeting started without me. No more arriving already irritated. I wanted efficiency, nothing else.

The building gave me exactly that. Clean lobby, bright lighting, and a doorman who nodded without asking questions. The elevator was fast and quiet, and the fourth floor hallway felt calm the moment I stepped out.

The movers had already brought up the first set of boxes and stacked them beside 4B. I rolled my suitcase forward, set it down, and reached into my pocket for the key. The hallway stayed silent except for the faint sound of the elevator closing behind me.

Then the door across the hall opened.

I looked up without thinking, just reacting to movement. The second I saw him, everything in me went still. My hand stayed wrapped around the key, but I forgot what I was doing.

Noah Prescott stepped into the hallway.

Five years disappeared in one instant. He looked older, broader, more solid than I remembered, and none of that helped. His dark hair was slightly longer, and he wore a plain black shirt and dark jeans. The familiar scent of leather reached me, and my body reacted before my mind could stop it.

He saw me at the same time.

Neither of us spoke. The space between us felt smaller than it should have. His eyes moved over my face slowly, like he was confirming I was real, like he had not expected this any more than I had.

My chest tightened and I forced myself to breathe normally. I had not seen him since he walked away, and my body remembered him in a way I did not appreciate. The way he looked at me had always felt too focused, too certain, like he saw more than I wanted him to.

He was doing it again.

"I don't love you anymore."

The words came back without warning. He had said them quietly, almost calmly, and they had shattered everything anyway. No argument, no buildup, no explanation. Just a decision delivered like it had already been made long before he told me.

I had waited for him to take it back. I remembered that clearly. I remembered standing there, trying not to cry, trying not to show how completely I had not expected it.

He never did.

I pushed the memory down and held onto the present. I was not that girl anymore. Five years had changed everything. I had built a company, built a reputation, built a life that did not depend on anyone.

Standing across from him, I needed to remember that.

"Hi," I said.

The word sounded normal. Controlled. Exactly what I wanted.

He blinked once, like he had not expected me to speak first. "Reese."

My name in his voice felt familiar in a way I did not want to examine. I ignored it and kept my expression neutral. The hallway felt too small with him standing there.

"Are you moving in?" he asked, nodding toward my suitcase.

"I am. 4B."

His gaze shifted to the door behind me, then back to my face. He took a step forward without thinking, then stopped himself. The movement was small, but I noticed.

"I'm in 4A," he said.

Of course he was.

I nodded once and turned back to my door. I slid the key into the lock, focusing on the motion, keeping everything controlled. I could still feel his attention on me, steady and quiet.

The elevator opened behind me.

"Reese, you left this downstairs."

I turned. Ethan Cross walked toward me with my handbag in his hand. He looked polished as always, calm and put together. He reached me and handed me the bag with a small smile.

"Thanks," I said.

He brushed a strand of hair away from my face, a familiar gesture that came naturally between us. His fingers lingered for half a second before dropping. The movement was simple, but I felt Noah's attention sharpen immediately.

I looked at him.

His expression had not changed, but his eyes had. His hands had curled slightly at his sides. The reaction was small, controlled, and unmistakable.

Good.

The thought came quickly. If he was going to stand there and look at me like nothing had changed, then he could see exactly what had.

I turned slightly toward Ethan and touched his arm. "Noah, this is Ethan. My fiancé."

The word landed hard.

Ethan did not hesitate. He extended his hand toward Noah with an easy smile. "Good to meet you."

Noah looked at the hand, then shook it. "You too."

His voice stayed even. His eyes moved to me for a brief second. Something passed through them, quiet and intense, and I felt it before I could stop myself.

I unlocked my door and stepped inside. Ethan followed, and I closed the door behind us. The apartment was bright and mostly empty. Boxes lined the walls, and the furniture had already been placed.

Ethan turned to me. "Fiancé?"

"I'll explain later," I said.

He studied me briefly, then nodded. "Alright."

We started opening boxes. The normal movement helped. We worked in silence for a few minutes, placing things in cabinets and stacking what did not matter yet.

After an hour, he checked his watch. "I should go."

"Thanks for the help."

"Anytime."

I walked him to the door. He stepped into the hallway and headed for the elevator. I watched until he disappeared, then looked across the hall.

The door to 4A was closed.

I went back inside and sat on the couch. The city moved outside the window, loud and constant. My new apartment looked clean and organized, exactly what I wanted.

I had chosen this place for convenience. Twelve minutes from the office. Efficient. Practical. Controlled.

Also Noah Prescott's building.

I rested my hands in my lap and stared ahead. I had built a life that did not include him. I had rebuilt everything he broke. I was not letting a coincidence undo any of it.

I wasn't seventeen anymore.

I was Reese Calloway.

And I was not going to fall apart over a man who once told me he didn't love me anymore.