Chapter 34
As I watch Jessy disappear into the night, my heart sinks with a heavy sense of loss. I was right to worry that my revelation would drive a deep wedge between us.
The pain of seeing her walk away cuts me to the core. But I can’t let her go like this, not without trying to make things right.
“Jessy, please!” I call out after her, my voice strained with desperation. “Wait!”
But she doesn’t stop, and the distance between us grows with each passing moment. Frantically, I reach out to grab her arm, but she shakes me off.
“Don’t you dare touch me!” she screams, her voice slicing through the air like a knife, piercing my heart.
“I’m sorry,” I stammer, my voice barely above a whisper. But my apology falls on deaf ears as she continues to walk away, her figure receding into the darkness of the night.
Feeling defeated, I watch as she hails a cab and disappears from sight, leaving me standing alone on the sidewalk, grappling with the weight of my mistakes.
Regret washes over me like a tidal wave, and I curse myself for not being more honest with her from the start.
Just then, the regional manager approaches me, his expression a mix of concern and confusion. “Ethan, they’re asking for you inside,” he says, gesturing toward the entrance of the venue.
With a heavy sigh, I nod. “I will be with you in a sec.”
As I make my way back inside, the noise of the party surrounds me, but my mind is elsewhere, consumed by thoughts of Jessy and the rift that now exists between us.
When I finally reach the event hall, I force a smile onto my face, but inside, my heart is in turmoil.
I go through the motions, engaging in polite conversation and exchanging pleasantries with the guests, but my mind keeps drifting back to herJessy.
As the event draws to a close, I find myself restless and unsettled; the need to find Jessy and make things right.
I excuse myself from the gathering, determined to track her down and plead for her forgiveness, no matter what it takes.
The drive to Jessy’s apartment is a blur, my mind consumed with thoughts of her and the desperate need to make things right.
Her apartment has never seemed so far away. It’s as if the faster I drive, the farther it becomes. This caused me to push the speed and safety limits as I raced against time to reach her.
When I finally arrive at her apartment, I leap out of the car and rush to her door, pounding on it with all the force I can muster.
“Jessy, please! Open up!” I plead, my voice hoarse with desperation.
I pound on her door until my knuckles start to hurt, and I’m sure I must have woken up her neighbors.
But there’s no response, no sign that she’s even inside. Panic seizes me, squeezing my chest with a vise-like grip as I frantically continue to knock, my heart pounding in my ears.
Suddenly, a neighbor emerges from the adjacent apartment, casting a curious glance in my direction. “Is everything alright?” she asks, her brows furrowing with concern.
I turn to her, my eyes wild with fear. “Have you seen the girl who lives in this apartment?” I ask, my voice trembling with urgency.
The neighbor shakes her head, her expression somber. “Jessy? No, I haven’t seen her since early this morning when she left for a party at her work. I don’t think she has returned,” she replies, her voice tinged with concern. “Is everything okay?”
A sense of dread washes over me as I realize that Jessy isn’t here, that she’s gone, and I have no idea where she went. I stumble backward, my mind racing with a million possibilities, each more terrifying than the last.
Without another word, I reach for my phone and dial Jessy’s number, praying for her to answer. But it goes straight to voicemail, leaving me with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Desperation takes hold as I realize I may have lost her forever, that my actions may have driven her away for good.
And as I stand there, alone in the darkness of the night, I’m left to wonder where she could possibly be, and if I’ll ever have the chance to make things right again.
On my way back to my penthouse, I keep trying to reach her on the phone, but I keep getting the voicemail.
Tossing my key on the coffee table, I loosen my tie and slouch on a couch. I should have just listened to Drake when he told me to tell Jessy the truth. I was too afraid, too busy thinking about myself and how I didn’t want her to see me differently to realize that I was hurting our relationship by keeping this away from her.
I jolt up when my phone starts ringing, hoping it’s Jessy. I quickly reach for it, but I’m greeted with disappointment when it turns out to be Amy.
“Hey, Amy,” I answer, forcing a note of nonchalance into my voice despite the turmoil raging inside me.
“Hey, Ethan, everything okay? I noticed you left the party in a hurry a little too early,” she asks, her voice tinged with concern.
I hesitate for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal. “Yeah, just had a bit of a disagreement with Jessy,” I reply, trying to downplay the severity of the situation.
There’s a beat of silence on the other end of the line before Amy speaks again. “What happened?” she asks, her tone more serious now.
I let out a sigh, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “It’s...complicated,” I admit, my voice heavy with regret. “Have you heard from her at all tonight?”
Amy pauses, her silence stretching out for what feels like an eternity. “No, I saw her at the party earlier, but she left before you did,” she replies, her voice tinged with concern. “Why? Is something wrong?”
I bite my lip, my mind racing with a million possibilities. “I’ve been trying to reach her, but she’s not answering,” I explain, my voice betraying my growing unease. “Could you try calling her for me? She’s not taking my calls.”
There’s a moment of hesitation on Amy’s end before she responds. “Of course, Ethan,” she says, her voice softening with concern. “I’ll call her right now and let you know if I hear anything.”
Relief floods through me at her words, and I am grateful for her willingness to help. “Thanks, Amy,” I say, my voice choking with emotion.
The shrill ringof my phone cuts through the heavy silence of my penthouse, jolting me out of my spiraling thoughts. With a sense of trepidation, I reach for the device, my heart pounding in my chest as I see Amy’s name flashing on the screen.
“Hey, Amy,” I answer, my voice strained with anticipation. “Were you able to reach her?”
“Ethan, I tried calling, but she’s not picking up my calls either,” Amy says, her voice laced with worry. “What’s going on?”
I swallow hard, my throat constricting with the weight of unspoken truths and regrets. “I fucked up,” I admit, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “She found out something I should have told her myself, and she...she left.”
There’s a beat of silence on the other end of the line, the weight of Amy’s unspoken questions hanging heavily in the air. “What did she find out?” she asks, her voice gentle yet insistent.
I run a hand through my hair, frustration and guilt warring within me. “It’s complicated, Amy,” I reply, my voice hoarse with emotion. “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
Knowing my sister, she will berate me for not telling Jessy the truth before now, and I’m not in the mood for that.
Amy lets out a sigh, her concern palpable even through the phone. “Okay, Ethan,” she says, her voice tinged with disappointment. “But whatever it is, you need to fix it. Jessy means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, the truth of her statement ringing painfully true. “More than you know,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “I just hope she’s okay.”
There’s a heavy silence on the other end of the line, the weight of our unspoken fears and worries hanging heavily between us. “I hope so too, Ethan,” Amy says finally, her voice soft and understanding. “Just...let me know if you hear from her, okay?”
I nod, even though she can’t see me. “I will,” I promise, my voice thick with emotion. “Thanks, Amy.”
After disconnecting from the call, I feel an emptiness inside me, consumed by a sense of helplessness and longing as I wait for any sign of Jessy’s return.
All through the night, I barely slept, and the next morning, I get out of bed early, so I can arrive at the office earlier than usual with the hopes of seeing her.
When I get to my office, I hear a knock on my door, and for a second, I wish against hope that it will be Jessy on the other side of the door.
But my hopes are dashed when the door opens and Rachel walks in, her expression somber and grave. “Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Reid.”
“Good morning, Rachel. Is there a problem?” I greet her, trying to mask the tremor in my voice with forced cheerfulness.
“I’m afraid, Mr. Reid,” she says quietly, her voice tinged with regret, “Jessica submitted her resignation letter this morning.”
Her words hit me like a freight train, a wave of disbelief and despair crashing over me in an overwhelming torrent. “Her resignation?” I repeat, my voice cracking with emotion. “But... why?”
She offers me a sympathetic smile, her eyes filled with understanding. “I’m not entirely sure, Mr. Reid,” she admits. “I tried talking her out of it this morning after I was informed by HR, but it seems she’s made up her mind.”
A sense of numbness washes over me, my mind reeling with a whirlwind of emotions. I had hoped that last night’s misunderstanding could be resolved, that Jessy and I could find a way back to each other.
But now, faced with the reality of her resignation, it feels like all my hopes and dreams have come crashing down around me.
“Thank you, Rachel. I will handle it.”
As Rachel walks out, I reach for my phone to call John, my P.I. I remember Jessy’s friend, Chloe, but I don’t have a way to contact her, so I tell him to find me Chloe’s number and address.
Not long after, he sends me an email containing every detail about Chloe. Checking the time, I know she will be at work now, so I grabbed my coat and headed out.
As I stride into the diner, the clatter of dishes and chatter of patrons fade into the background. My heart races with a mix of anxiety and determination as I scan the room for Chloe.
Spotting her behind the counter, I make my way over, my steps heavy with anticipation. Chloe’s eyes meet mine, and I see a flicker of recognition before her expression shifts to one of concern.
“Ethan,” she greets me, her voice soft with sympathy. “What brings you here?”
I swallow hard, steeling myself for the conversation ahead. “I need to talk to you about Jessy,” I say, my words tinged with urgency.
Chloe’s brow furrows in concern. “Is everything okay?” she asks, her tone laced with worry.
I shake my head, unable to contain the turmoil within me. “I know she must have already filled you in on what happened. Please, I need to see her. She is not taking my calls, and I know you know where she is.”
Chloe shakes her head, her gaze apologetic. “I’m sorry, Ethan, but she made me promise that I wasn’t going to tell you.”
A surge of frustration and longing courses through me. “Chloe, I know you are loyal to your friend, but please, I really need to know where she is. If it makes it any better, please know that I haven’t been able to sleep since last night. I love her, and I need to make things right. Please…” I sound so desperate I can barely recognize my voice.
Chloe offers me a sympathetic smile, her eyes filled with understanding. “Oh, you make it hard to be a loyal friend. Jessy will kill me for this.” She takes a deep breath.
“She went to Bennington. She said she needed some alone time. And before you ask, my answer is no. I’m not giving you her house address. That’s all I can give you.”
“No, I won’t ask more of you. You’ve been helpful. Thanks, Chloe.”
With a heavy heart, I turn and leave the diner, my mind racing with thoughts of Jessy. Though she may be miles away, I’m determined to track her down and make things right.