Chapter 12 #2
She felt him spread her once more. She felt him fill her. And then she felt him cum, marking her as his one more time.
*****
James sat in his office, his elbows propped on the desk as he scanned through emails, the buzz of the morning already settling in. He was distracted, his thoughts drifting back to Evie—her laughter, her touch, the way she had looked at him last night as though he were her entire world.
The door opened suddenly, and Lauren strode in with her usual brisk confidence. She didn’t wait for an invitation, dropping two neatly stacked documents onto his desk with a dramatic thud. James glanced at the papers, his brow furrowing in confusion.
“What’s this?” he asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Divorce papers,” Lauren said flatly, folding her arms as she looked down at him. “You can be a free man now.”
James froze for a moment, his gaze flickering to the documents, then back to Lauren. Before he could process the weight of what she’d said, his best friend, Declan, who was sitting on the couch across the room, leaned forward, watching the exchange with a curious look.
James turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting Declan’s. They shared a look—an unspoken conversation passing between them in a fraction of a second.
Lauren narrowed her eyes, glancing between the two of them.
“What?” she asked, her tone sharp and suspicious. “You look as sad about this as you did when I handed you the marriage contract.”
James exhaled, running a hand through his hair as he leaned back in his chair, his jaw tightening.
“It’s not that simple,” he said, his voice quieter now, tinged with something Lauren couldn’t quite place.
Lauren arched a brow, placing a hand on her hip. “Oh, I think it is. You signed the contract. You played the part. And now it’s over. What’s complicated about that?”
James glanced back at Declan, who gave him a small, almost imperceptible shrug as if saying, “This is on you.”
But James didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he stared at the divorce papers, his chest tightening as the reality of the situation began to sink in. For the first time, the thought of letting Evie go felt like losing something he hadn’t even realized he couldn’t live without.
James let out a long breath, his eyes locked on the divorce papers sitting on the desk. His hand hovered over them, but he didn’t pick them up. Instead, his voice cut through the silence in the room like a blade.
“I love her.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.
Lauren froze, her eyes widening as she stared at him in disbelief. Declan, who had been leaning back casually on the couch, straightened up, his expression shifting from mild amusement to outright shock.
“What did you just say?” Lauren asked, her voice sharp, her tone almost disbelieving.
James looked up at her, his gaze steady and resolute.
“I said I love her,” he repeated, his voice firmer this time, carrying a weight that left no room for doubt. “Evie. I love her.”
Lauren blinked, her mouth opening as if to speak, but no words came out. Declan let out a low whistle, running a hand through his hair as he shook his head.
“Well, damn,” he muttered under his breath.
“We’ve… we’ve been dating,” James continued, his gaze darting between Lauren and Declan. “Really dating. It stopped being about the contract a long time ago.”
Lauren’s jaw dropped, and she threw her hands up.
“Dating? Dating? Are you kidding me?” she exclaimed. “This was supposed to be a business arrangement. A temporary fix. And now you’re telling me you’re—what? In love? When were you going to share this tiny detail with me?”
James leaned back in his chair, his shoulders relaxing slightly now that the truth was out.
“I don’t know,” he admitted, his tone softer but unwavering. “Maybe when I figured it out myself. But it’s the truth, Lauren. It’s not fake. Not anymore.”
Declan snorted, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, a grin tugging at his lips. “This is wild. The guy who couldn’t commit to a weekend date is now confessing he’s in love. I need a drink.”
James shot him a glare, but the faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “This isn’t a joke, Declan.”
“I’m not joking,” Declan said, holding up his hands. “I’m impressed. And maybe a little shocked. Okay, a lot shocked.”
Lauren groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “This is…” she sighed after taking a moment to think of her next words. “I'm not sure what this is. This could either be a blessing or a disaster waiting to happen.”
Everyone stared at him for a really long moment. And he stared back, hoping for some advice, not just baffled wide eyes.
James shifted uncomfortably under their collective gaze, the silence stretching far too long for his liking. His eyes darted between Declan, whose grin was steadily widening, and Lauren, who looked like she was trying to calculate how much of a mess she’d need to clean up.
Declan snorted, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “I mean, what do you want us to say, man? You just dropped the biggest plot twist of the year, and now you want advice? You’re the guy who never does serious.
” He tilted his head, smirking. “And now you’re out here talking about love like it’s… what? Your new hobby?”
James shot him a glare, but his fingers drummed restlessly on the arm of his chair. “Not helping.”
Lauren let out a long sigh, dropping her hand from her face and fixing him with her signature no-nonsense look.
“Alright, James, here’s the reality. If you’re serious about this—and I mean actually serious—then this changes everything. The strategy, the PR, the way we handle the press. Everything.”
“Good,” James said, his voice firm, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. “I’m done pretending. I don’t care what we need to change. I just… I want this to be real.”
The room fell silent again, Lauren and Declan exchanging a glance as they absorbed his words. For the first time in years, James felt like he was standing on solid ground like he’d finally said the one thing that mattered most.
Now, all that remained was to figure out if Evie felt the same way.
*****
Evie stepped into the apartment, her heels clicking softly against the hardwood floor. The air was quiet, thick with the subtle scent of vanilla and something faintly floral. It was dark, save for the soft, flickering glow of candles lining the hallway.
Their golden light danced along the walls, creating an almost ethereal path that led her deeper into the space.
Her heart began to race as she followed the trail, her footsteps slowing as she reached the living room.
The large windows stretched from floor to ceiling, revealing the sprawling cityscape bathed in the shimmering lights of the night.
The skyline sparkled like a sea of stars, stretching out endlessly beneath the inky sky.
In the center of the room, James stood, his silhouette framed by the glowing city beyond.
He wore a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his hands tucked casually into his pockets.
The soft candlelight played across his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw and the warmth in his eyes as they locked onto hers.
The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the city below, but the silence between them felt charged, every flicker of the candles amplifying the unspoken tension. A low table near the windows held a bottle of wine and two glasses, the setup simple, but intimate.
Evie swallowed, her breath catching as she took in the scene.