Chapter 7 #2
I followed them to the lounge, where the conversation flowed easily over cocktails.
Jessica sat next to me, her arm brushing against mine every now and then, the familiar comfort of her presence.
It was easy with her. There were no complications, no unspoken feelings or doubts hanging in the air.
She knew my world, and she knew me in it.
But as she leaned over to point something out on the menu, I couldn’t help but wonder why Beth hadn’t been able to do that, why she had always felt so far away, even when we were standing side by side.
One-by-one, the rest of the group trickled out of the lounge, leaving Jessica and me alone.
The space quieted down, the noise of the day fading into the hum of late-night city traffic outside.
She set her drink down and turned to me, her expression thoughtful.
“You’ve been quiet all night, Chris. And I’m not just talking about work. ”
I let out a breath, not sure if I wanted to talk about it, but not sure I could keep it to myself much longer either. “It’s nothing, just... Beth.”
Jessica tilted her head. “What about her?”
I hesitated. “It’s complicated. She’s changing, or maybe I’m seeing her differently for the first time.” I swirled the liquid in my glass. “We’re just not on the same page anymore.”
“Sounds like you need a break from it all,” Jessica said softly, her hand resting lightly on my arm. “Maybe she does too. But you know as well as I do that sometimes distance helps people realize what they have.”
I glanced at her, feeling the warmth of her hand on my arm, the unspoken understanding between us. “And what if it doesn’t?”
Jessica didn’t answer right away, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass before she met my gaze.
“Then you’ll have to decide what’s worth holding on to, and what’s worth letting go.
” Her voice was calm, but the weight of her words settled over me.
She didn’t have to say more. We both knew the unspoken truth beneath her words, that sometimes, what’s best for business and what’s best for your heart aren’t the same thing.
I didn’t have an answer yet, and for now, that was enough.
I raised my glass in a silent toast to the uncertainty between us, and Jessica clinked hers against mine, her smile lingering as we both sat back, letting the silence fill the space that words couldn’t.
Tomorrow would bring more meetings, more decisions, and eventually, the return home.
But for tonight, in this quiet lounge, there was nothing to decide.
The elevator ride to our hotel floor felt longer than it should have.
The air between Jessica and me was charged with something I couldn’t name, something I had avoided acknowledging for too long.
The doors slid open, and we stepped out into the dim hallway, my room a few feet away from hers.
We stopped outside my door, and I glanced at her, expecting her to say goodnight and head to her room like she usually did.
But she didn’t move. Instead, she leaned against the doorframe, her expression unreadable.
“You’re thinking too much,” Jessica said, her voice quieter than I’d heard it all evening.
“About Beth?” I asked, trying to keep the edge out of my tone.
Jessica tilted her head, her eyes locking on mine. “About everything.” She shifted closer, her hand brushing against mine where it rested on the keycard. “You deserve more than second-guessing everything. You deserve to be with someone who knows exactly who you are, who doesn’t try to change you.”
My breath caught in my throat. The intensity of her gaze held me still, but my mind was racing.
I could feel the weight of the decision that was slowly taking shape in front of me, one that had been building in the back of my mind for a while.
It would be easy to take a step, to let something new replace the cracks that had formed with Beth.
Jessica knew this life. She understood the demands, the stakes, the sacrifices. There were no secrets with her.
I could feel her waiting for me to make a move, to close the distance between us.
My pulse quickened, my resolve slipping.
Beth’s face flickered in my mind, but it was distant now, like a memory of something I was no longer connected to.
But no matter how easy it would be, the image of her sitting with that notebook, that dream of hers that didn’t involve me, gave me pause.
I took a step back, breaking the spell. “It’s late,” I muttered, swiping my keycard and pushing the door open.
Jessica didn’t protest. She gave me a small smile, almost knowing. “I get it.” But as she turned to head toward her room, her voice softened, just enough to let me know the offer still stood. “Goodnight, Chris.”
I watched her walk down the hall, feeling the mix of relief and frustration twisting inside me.
Closing the door, I leaned against it for a long moment.
It was tempting, too tempting, to take the easy road, to step into a future that didn’t have the complications Beth brought.
But as much as I wanted it to be simple, part of me couldn’t let go.
Sighing, I pushed off the door and walked deeper into the room.
The city lights sparkled outside the window, a reminder of everything I had built.
Tomorrow would be another day of negotiations, of strategy and precision.
Tonight, though, I was alone with the same doubts that had followed me across the country.
As I sat on the edge of the bed, my phone lay heavy in my pocket.
I pulled it out and stared at Beth’s contact.
It would be so simple to call, to try and patch things up, but I didn’t know what to say.
What could I say, really? That I was confused?
That I wasn’t sure who was right or wrong anymore?
Or worse, that I didn’t care as much as I once did?
My thumb hovered over her name, but in the end, I set the phone down.
I wasn’t ready for that conversation. Maybe I never would be.
Turning out the lights, I lay back on the bed, staring at the dark ceiling, letting the silence swallow me whole. And for the first time, I wondered if maybe I was losing her. Or if I had already lost her, long before this trip had started.