THE STUD MAN

WHEN TRUST BREAKS

Amelia did not call the next morning.

Adrian knew because he checked his phone seventeen times before eight.

At eight-fifteen, he sent a message.

Can we talk?

No response.

At nine:

I know I handled this badly. Please let me explain properly.

Nothing.

By ten-thirty, Adrian had read the same email four times without understanding it.

Marcus eventually entered his office and closed the door.

“You’re useless today.”

“Thank you.”

“Amelia?”

Adrian looked up.

Marcus held up his phone.

The photograph of Vanessa had spread farther than Adrian expected.

Business gossip pages had picked it up.

One had even placed an old photograph of Adrian beside several women beneath the headline.

HAS LONDON’S STUD MAN RETURNED TO HIS OLD WAYS?

Adrian threw his pen onto the desk.

“I hate that name.”

“You didn’t always.”

“I do now.”

Marcus sat opposite him.

“What happened?”

Adrian explained.

Not everything.

Enough.

When he finished, Marcus shook his head.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Very helpful.”

“You lied to Amelia about Vanessa contacting you?”

“I panicked.”

“That’s your defence?”

“No.”

“Good, because it’s terrible.”

Adrian rubbed his face.

“Nothing happened with Vanessa.”

“Does Amelia believe that?”

“Yes.”

Marcus frowned.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I hid it.”

“Ah.”

Marcus leaned back.

“That is considerably worse.”

“Again, helpful.”

“You don’t need helpful. You need accurate.”

Adrian looked toward the window.

“What do I do?”

“Tell her the truth.”

“I already did.”

“All of it?”

Adrian hesitated.

Marcus noticed.

“There it is.”

“What?”

“The part you’re still hiding.”

Adrian frowned.

“There is nothing else.”

“Yes, there is.”

Marcus stood.

“You haven’t told her why you lied.”

“I said I was scared.”

“Of what?”

Adrian didn’t answer.

Marcus nodded.

“Exactly.”

He left.

Adrian remained still.

Scared of what?

Amelia leaving?

Vanessa affecting them?

Looking weak?

Or perhaps the answer was simpler.

He had been scared of trusting Amelia with the ugliest part of himself.

⸻

Amelia finally replied shortly after noon.

Come at seven.

Adrian arrived at six-fifty-eight.

He waited until exactly seven before knocking.

Amelia opened the door.

She looked tired.

No makeup.

Hair tied back.

Beautiful anyway.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

She stepped aside.

Adrian entered.

He had been inside her apartment several times.

Tonight it felt unfamiliar.

Amelia sat on the sofa.

Adrian remained standing.

“Sit down.”

He did.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then Amelia said, “Tell me everything.”

So he did.

Vanessa’s first message.

The second.

His decision to meet.

The apology.

Vanessa admitting regret.

The photograph.

Everything.

Amelia listened without interrupting.

When he finished, she asked, “Did you want her back?”

“No.”

“Did seeing her make you wonder?”

“No.”

“Did you enjoy hearing that she regretted leaving you?”

Adrian opened his mouth.

Then stopped.

“Be honest.”

“Yes.”

Amelia nodded.

That answer clearly hurt.

Adrian leaned forward.

“Not because I want her.”

“I know.”

“For years, I imagined what it would feel like if she realised she’d made a mistake.”

“And?”

“Empty.”

Amelia looked at him.

“It didn’t fix anything.”

“Because she wasn’t the person who needed to believe you were enough.”

Adrian frowned.

Amelia continued.

“You were.”

The words landed heavily.

He looked down.

“I know.”

“No, Adrian. I don’t think you do.”

She stood and walked toward the window.

“You built a successful company. Changed your body. Changed your clothes. Changed the way you deal with women.”

Adrian said nothing.

“And somewhere inside you, there’s still that man sitting in a café wondering why Vanessa chose somebody else.”

His jaw tightened.

“That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it?”

“No.”

“Then why did her apology matter?”

“Because she hurt me!”

His voice came out louder than intended.

Silence followed.

Adrian stood.

“She humiliated me. I was going to marry her, Amelia.”

“I know.”

“I gave that woman everything.”

“And she betrayed you.”

“Yes.”

Amelia turned toward him.

“But I didn’t.”

The anger left him immediately.

She continued quietly.

“I didn’t cheat on you. I didn’t compare you to another man. I didn’t tell you that you weren’t enough.”

Adrian swallowed.

“But when Vanessa came back, you treated me as if I might.”

“I didn’t mean to.”

“I know.”

Her eyes filled.

“That almost makes it worse.”

Adrian stepped closer.

“Amelia.”

She moved back.

He stopped.

“I love you.”

The words escaped before he could think.

Amelia froze.

So did Adrian.

He had not planned it.

Hadn’t rehearsed it.

Hadn’t even admitted it fully to himself.

But once spoken, the truth was undeniable.

“I love you,” he repeated.

Amelia closed her eyes.

“Don’t.”

“I mean it.”

“Don’t say that because you’re afraid I’m leaving.”

“I’m saying it because I should have said it before.”

She looked at him.

“I love waking up next to you. I love arguing with you. I love that you ruin perfectly good pasta.”

A tear escaped despite the laugh she tried to suppress.

Adrian moved closer.

“I love that you see through every stupid thing I do.”

“That must keep you very busy.”

He smiled sadly.

“I love you.”

Amelia wiped her cheek.

“And I love you.”

Adrian’s breath caught.

“But that doesn’t make this disappear.”

His hope collapsed.

“I know.”

“I trusted you.”

“You still can.”

“I want to.”

“Then do.”

Amelia shook her head.

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“Tell me.”

“I need space.”

The words struck him harder than he expected.

“How much?”

“I don’t know.”

“Amelia—”

“Please.”

Adrian felt the old panic rise.

This was the moment.

The moment Ollie had warned him about.

Run.

Become cold.

Pretend it didn’t matter.

Find another woman.

Make sure Amelia understood she wasn’t capable of destroying him.

The Stud Man knew exactly what to do.

Adrian forced himself not to listen.

“Okay.”

Amelia looked surprised.

“Okay?”

“If you need space, I’ll give it to you.”

His voice almost broke.

“But I’m not disappearing.”

She stared at him.

“I won’t chase you every day. I won’t pressure you. But I’m not going back to who I was because this hurts.”

Amelia’s expression softened.

“Adrian…”

“You were right.”

“About what?”

“I’ve spent years preparing for everyone to leave.”

He looked at her.

“Maybe I should finally learn how to stay.”

Amelia cried silently.

Adrian wanted to hold her.

He didn’t.

Instead, he walked toward the door.

His hand reached the handle.

“Adrian?”

He turned.

“I meant it.”

“What?”

“When I said I love you.”

His eyes closed briefly.

“I know.”

Then he left.

⸻

The apartment was dark when Adrian returned home.

Two of Amelia’s dresses still hung in his wardrobe.

Her shampoo remained in the bathroom.

A mug she liked sat beside the coffee machine.

Everywhere he looked, there was evidence of what he might lose.

His phone vibrated.

For one foolish second, he hoped it was Amelia.

It was Ollie.

You okay?

Adrian stared at the message.

The old Adrian would have lied.

The Stud Man would have made a joke.

This time, he typed the truth.

No.

Ollie called immediately.

Adrian answered.

Neither man spoke for several seconds.

Then Ollie asked, “Want me to come over?”

Adrian sat on the edge of his bed.

“Yes.”

One word.

No performance.

No pride.

No pretending.

Just yes.

And as Adrian waited for his oldest friend to arrive, he finally understood something.

The Stud Man had never been the strongest version of him.

He had simply been the safest.

And if Adrian wanted Amelia back, he would have to become something much harder.

A man strong enough to love someone without knowing whether she would stay.