CHAPTER 21
Elena
I got home earlier than usual that Friday.
After parking in the driveway, I sat in the car for a moment before stepping out, letting the engine die down as silence settled around me.
There was a nervous tension in my chest that I didn’t need, and I hated it because I knew exactly where it came from.
Adrian had texted me that he was already on the plane. In a few hours, he would be home.
Thankfully, Haille had been picked up by Avery earlier that afternoon. She was still at Judy’s, playing and probably being spoiled. Avery said she’d bring her home later after dinner. It gave me time. Space. A rare stretch of quiet.
I went inside and moved on instinct, like my body knew what to do even though my mind wasn’t fully ready. I prepped dinner, tied my hair back, changed into something comfortable, and started cooking.
Time passed. The food was ready, neatly arranged on the table—creamy Tuscan chicken, focaccia bread, and steamed asparagus. The kitchen was clean, quiet again after the work of cooking.
Adrian texted again, he was in a taxi, on his way home. Less than half an hour.
I went upstairs for a quick shower. The warm water loosened the tightness in my chest just a little. I didn’t linger, just long enough to feel refreshed. I was already clean and changed when I heard the front door open downstairs.
Footsteps followed. Heavy. Familiar.
My heart started racing without my permission.
I went downstairs and saw him standing in the living room, his suitcase set aside near the wall.
Adrian looked... unfairly handsome.
Travel exhaustion clung to him in a way that only sharpened his features—the slight hollow beneath his cheekbones, the stubble along his jaw, the loosened collar of his shirt exposing a hint of skin I knew too well.
He looked older than the man I married, harder somehow, but no less devastating. If anything, time and distance had only made him more dangerous to my composure. And the worst part was how easily my body remembered him.
His eyes found me, dark and steady, and something shifted in his expression—relief, longing, hunger—all colliding at once.
He crossed the room without hesitation. His hand settled at my waist, firm and possessive, like it had always belonged there. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, grounding and undoing me at the same time.
“I’m home.”
I startled slightly, not because I didn’t want him there, but because even now, after everything, the sight of him still made my heart stumble.
“Welcome home,” I said softly.
He lingered, inhaling slowly, his nose brushing my hair. “God,” he murmured, voice low. “I missed you.”
Then his mouth curved faintly as he breathed in again. “I smell food,” he added. “Did you cook?”
I nodded. “You must be hungry.”
“Starving,” he exhaled, almost smiling.
We ate together, sitting across from each other like we always did. The conversation stayed light. Careful. He asked about Haille, and I told him she was still at Judy’s, that Avery would bring her home later. He nodded, visibly relieved.
After dinner, I stood and started clearing the table.
“Leave it,” he said. “I’ll help.”
“No,” I shook my head. “You go rest. I’ll wash the dishes.”
I stood at the sink, water running, plates stacked beside me. My thoughts drifted, until I felt his arms wrap around my waist from behind.
I froze for a second.
His chest pressed against my back. Warm. Solid. His lips brushed my neck, slow and deliberate, like he wasn’t in any rush.
“Adrian...” I breathed—not a refusal, not an invitation.
His grip tightened slightly, as if making sure I wouldn’t pull away. His kiss lingered at my neck, deeper this time, deliberate enough to leave a mark. I closed my eyes without realizing it.
The water was still running. The dishes weren’t done. But his hands had already turned me around.
We didn’t speak again.
The walk to the bedroom felt quiet, heavy with everything we weren’t saying. When Adrian finally kissed my lips, it was deep, like he was trying to close a distance word couldn’t reach. I kissed him back, not with the ease we once had, but not with resistance either.
In the bedroom, everything unfolded like movements we’d memorized over years. Adrian was close—too close—like he needed to prove his presence, needed to feel undeniable.
I let him guide me, let his hands hold me, let his weight press down the thoughts threatening to surface.
I closed my eyes. For a moment, there was only breath and warmth—the firm press of his body against mine, the way his grip tightened and eased in a slow rhythm, skin sliding against skin as movement replaced thought.
Every sensation sharpened, narrowed, until all I could feel was heat, pressure, and the steady pull that kept drawing us closer.
When it was over, he didn’t pull away. Adrian’s arm came around me, solid and possessive, pulling me fully against him. My cheek rested against his chest, his heartbeat still uneven beneath my ear. His hand lingered at my waist, thumb tracing slow, absent circles as if he wasn’t ready to let go.
Adrian went to shower not long after. He paused by the bed, brushing a soft kiss against my lips, before pulling away. Then he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving me alone in the bedroom, my body was still aware of where he had been.
A moment later, his phone buzzed on the nightstand.
My eyes drifted toward it, almost out of habit.
There had been a time when I would have reached for it without thinking—scrolling through everything like I was searching for something I couldn’t name.
Back then, suspicion had slipped into my life so quietly I hadn’t even noticed when it became a part of me.
I hadn’t always been like that. But betrayal had a way of changing things.
At some point, the need to know had faded. Now, I only glanced at the screen for a second before looking away.
And strangely, that felt easier. Safer.
Slowly, I leaned back against the pillows, my gaze settling on the ceiling. The faint sound of water running in the bathroom filled the room, distant and steady, like everything else between us.
Adrian didn’t take long.
The bathroom door opened, followed by the soft sound of his footsteps against the floor.
He stepped into the room a moment later, a towel hanging low around his hips, his hair still damp.
Droplets of water trailed down his skin, disappearing along the lines of his chest. For a second, my gaze lingered—out of habit more than anything else—before I looked away again.
He moved past the bed, slowing briefly as if to glance at me, then reached for his phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up in his hand.
“Avery just texted,” he said, his voice casual. “She’s on her way. She’ll be here soon with Haille.”
I gave a small nod. “Okay.”
— ? —
Adrian
“Daddyyy!!”
The second I heard her voice, everything else faded. Haille came running toward me, curls bouncing, arms already reaching out before she even got close. I barely had time to bend my knees before she collided with my chest.
“Hey—hey, easy there,” I laughed, crouching just in time to catch her.
She wrapped her arms around my neck like she’d been holding it in all day, and I lifted her up effortlessly, pulling her close. I pressed my cheek to hers and snuggled her until she burst into giggles, her laughter bright and contagious.
“There you are,” I murmured, smiling against her hair. “I missed you, bug.”
She giggled harder, squirming happily in my arms.
Avery stepped in behind her, keys still in hand. “How was the trip?” she asked casually.
“Smooth,” I replied.
“Good,” she said, already backing toward the door. “I’ll head out then.”
“Thank you, Avery,” Elena said warmly, stepping closer. “Really.”
“Anytime,” Avery replied. Before leaving, she leaned in and kissed Haille’s cheek, ruffling her curls playfully. “Be good, okay?”
Haille lifted her little hand and blew her a kiss. “Bye, Avewyyy!”
The door closed behind her, leaving the house quiet again.
I looked down at Haille, still tucked comfortably against me. “Did you miss me?”
She nodded vigorously, then leaned in and planted a sloppy kiss on my cheek. “Missed you so much,” she said seriously.
My chest tightened in the best way.
“I missed you too,” I said softly. “Both of you.”
Elena smiled faintly before asking Haille, “So... what did you do at Grandma’s house?”
Haille lit up immediately. “Playyy,” she said, then added proudly, “ice cweam.”
Elena sighed, shaking her head. “Ice cream?” She glanced at me. “Let’s hope there’s no sugar rush tonight.”
I laughed. “If she can’t sleep, it’s fine. I’ll stay up with her.”
Elena gave me a look that said of course you will, but there was a hint of relief there too.
She hesitated, then said, “Oh—by the way. I ran into William and Astrid last weekend. They invited us for lunch tomorrow. Astrid texted me earlier too.” She paused. “But if you’re not up for it, I can tell her we’ll pass.”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah, Will told me.”
Then I looked at her more closely. “Are you okay with going?” I asked, more carefully this time. “If you are, we can go. If not, we can just skip it.”
She went quiet for a moment.
“I’m okay,” she said finally. “We can go. Haille will probably have fun with their kids anyway.”
I nodded, accepting it without pushing further.
Haille yawned against my shoulder, her grip loosening just a little.
“Alright,” I murmured, adjusting my hold. “Let’s get you ready for bed, princess.”
She hummed sleepily, already halfway there.
And for that moment—just standing there, holding my daughter, Elena beside us—it almost felt like everything was still intact.