The twins were sprawled across the living room floor, engaged in a game of cards. Ryan glanced over from his laptop, smiling faintly as Damien crowed about his victory over Debby. The ordinary domesticity brought a rare moment of peace.
“Mom’s having coffee with Mr. Hayes today,” Debby said suddenly, her voice cheerful.
Ryan’s attention snapped to her, his smile fading. “What was that?”
“Mr. Hayes. You remember him! He’s our teacher,” Debby repeated, looking up innocently. “He’s really nice. He helps Mom a lot.”
Ryan’s jaw tightened as Damien chimed in, “He’s the guy who gave Debby that bracelet. He’s cool.”
“Cool,” Ryan echoed flatly, his mind already spiraling. He stood abruptly, his heart thudding in his chest.
Later, Ryan leaned against the kitchen counter, his phone gripped tightly in his hand. His thoughts churned with images of Amelia and James—laughing, leaning in close, sharing something he couldn’t reach anymore.
He typed furiously: Ask her about our night together.
A wicked part of him hesitated, savoring the disruption this would bring. Adding a photo—a carefully chosen one of Amelia leaving his apartment, tousled and unmistakable—was the final blow.
Pressing send, Ryan exhaled, a bitter satisfaction coursing through him.
***
James sat at his desk, the soft glow of his reading lamp casting a warm light over his papers. He wasn’t grading assignments, though. A sketchpad lay open before him, filled with aimless doodles. His mind had been elsewhere since his coffee date with Amelia.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Her laugh, so genuine and rare, had stayed with him all day. The way she’d opened up, even just a little, felt like a breakthrough. He couldn’t help but wonder if, after everything, she was finally ready to let someone in.
“Maybe,” he murmured to himself, spinning his pen between his fingers. His daughter’s words echoed in his mind: You deserve someone, Dad. Why not her?
The thought made his heart ache with a cautious hope. Amelia wasn’t just someone he cared about—he admired her. Her resilience, her devotion to her children, the way she carried herself even when it was clear life had thrown her nothing but storms.
His phone buzzed on the desk, breaking his thoughts. Picking it up, he assumed it was a work email or maybe Amelia herself. But as he unlocked the screen, his stomach sank.
The message was from an unknown number.
Ask her about our night together.
James’s brow furrowed, confusion creasing his features. His heart began to race as the attached photo loaded, pixel by pixel.
It hit him like a punch to the gut.
The image was unmistakable—Amelia leaving an apartment building, her hair tousled, her expression softened in a way he recognized too well. The timestamp was fresh, far too recent to dismiss.
Ryan’s apartment.
James stared at the photo, his grip tightening around his phone. His thoughts tumbled over one another in a chaotic storm. Was this real? Had she gone back to Ryan? After everything she’d told him, after all their moments together, had it all been a lie?
His chest ached as anger and disbelief battled within him. He stood abruptly, pacing the room. Questions swirled in his mind: Was it just a mistake? Did she mean for it to happen? Am I just a placeholder for someone she’ll never let go of?
James wanted to dismiss it, to think there was some misunderstanding, but the photo didn’t lie. The timestamp didn’t lie.
He grabbed his keys, his resolve hardening. Whatever the truth was, he needed to hear it from her. Now.