The smell of rain still lingered in the house. Harper stood in the hallway, soaked, staring at the framed wedding photo on the wall, her smile was wide open, and her eyes bright. A version of her that didn't exist anymore.
Liam wasn't home. His side of the bed was untouched when she walked into the bedroom. The clock read 2:47 a.m.
She hung Jaxon's jacket over the chair and sat at the edge of the bed, fingers tracing the leather like it was something alive. His warmth was still there, she pressed her face against it before she could stop herself, then dropped it fast, ashamed.
"Get a grip," she muttered under her breath. But even as she said it, the echo of his voice, "Go home before I do something I can't take back" looped in her head until sleep finally took her.
The alarm buzzed too early. Liam's voice broke the silence first. "You left the door unlocked last night."
Harper blinked awake, finding him at the foot of the bed, suit pressed and tie perfectly. "I—uh, must have forgotten."
"You can't be careless, Harper." He didn't sound angry, just distant like a boss giving feedback. She sat up, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You didn't come home."
"I stayed at the office. We were running projections late." he replied.
"On our anniversary," she said softly. He paused, adjusting his cufflinks. "We will celebrate this weekend. I already told you."
Her eyes flicked to the chair, the jacket was still there. Liam followed her gaze. "Whose jacket is that?"
Her pulse quickened. "Sophie's boyfriend left it in my car. I forgot to give it back."
He nodded slowly. "Right." He didn't believe her, but he didn't care enough to question it either. That hurt more than if he had yelled.
"Try to be more careful next time," he said, picking up his briefcase. "We have dinner with investors tomorrow. Be ready by seven."
"Sure," she murmured.
When he left, she sat in silence for a long time, staring at the jacket again. By noon, Harper was at her office, a small but elegant design studio tucked between glass towers, sketching designs that blurred into nothing. Grace, her coworker, leaned against the desk, sipping coffee.
"You look like you slept three minutes," Grace said. "Is it Liam again?"
Harper gave a faint smile. "When isn't it Liam?"
Grace sighed. "You should come with me to that art show tonight. There will be champagne and single men who actually care."
"Pass," Harper said. "I'm good."
"You're not," Grace said gently. "You are clearly suffering."
Before Harper could respond, her phone buzzed. A text.
> Jaxon: Did you get home safe?
Her breath caught. She typed back fast.
> Harper: Yeah. Thanks again.
Three dots appeared then:
> Jaxon: Can we talk?
She stared at the screen for a long moment. Then typed.
> Harper: Probably not a good idea.
But she didn't send it, instead, she locked her phone and told herself she had moved on.
That evening, she was in the kitchen reheating soup when the doorbell rang. She opened the door and froze. Jaxon stood there, rain-soaked again, eyes restless. "Sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have come without calling."
"What are you doing here?" she whispered, glancing behind him. "If Liam..."
"He's still at the office. I checked." he answered calmly. "I just needed to see you."
Her hands tightened on the doorframe. "You shouldn't."
"I know." He took a step closer. "But I can't stop thinking about last night."
Her chest tightened. "Nothing happened."
"Not yet." His voice was low, "But it will if we keep pretending we don't feel it."
She turned away, heart pounding, whispering, "Don't do this to me."
He reached for her wrist, gentle but firm. "Then tell me what to do."
She didn't say anything .The silence between them said everything. He let go first, breathing hard, like holding back took everything he had.
"Harper, I'm not trying to ruin your marriage," he said quietly. "But I can't keep lying to myself. Not when I see how he treats you."
"Please," she whispered. "Don't make me choose right now."
Jaxon stepped back, hands trembling slightly. "Then I'll make it easy. I'll stay away but please, don't pretend you don't feel it too."
She looked at him rain glistening on his face, eyes raw and honest. It broke something inside her."Goodnight, Jaxon."
He nodded once, turned and walked into the storm.The door shut, Harper pressed her back against it, breathing fast, fighting tears.