Chapter 005

"Jemma, I didn’t expect to see you here."

My fingers clung a bit too firmly to the coffee cup's edge as I froze. Even before I turned around, I could tell who it was by the sound of his deep, familiar, yet strained voice cutting through the bustle of the bustling café.

Wright, Alex.

It had been over two years since I last saw him. Not after I told him I wasn't ready for a relationship, shoved him away, and left his life without giving him another look. I believed I was making the proper choice at the time. I had a lot of other things to think about, like my future, my career, and my family. And yet here I was, uncertain of what remained of my life after everything that had transpired.

It should have been me who left now. I had not anticipated seeing him today, much less in a café where I had entered in search of some kind of normalcy.

But he was here.

"Alex," I replied, sounding softer than I had intended. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He had the same intense eyes, the same sharp jawline, and dark hair that was slightly ruffled. I was struck in the chest by all the emotions I had suppressed.

"May I sit, please?" Without waiting for a response, he pulled out the chair across from me and sat down, his sharp blue eyes staring at me with a mix of interest and an unidentified emotion.

I ought to have mentioned anything, anything at all, about how odd it was that he had suddenly appeared and how I wasn't sure what I was doing at the time. In actuality, though, everything else in my life had gotten so out of hand that this brief moment of familiarity was the last thing I could cling to. I was looking for something reassuring that wasn't a lie or a betrayal.

After a lengthy silence, he continued, "I thought you were done with me," his eyes unblinking. "Jemma, you left without saying anything."

Uncomfortably, I moved. The problem with Alex was that. He didn't mince words. He didn't. It was really difficult to ignore him because he was always direct in his speech.

I mumbled, averting his eyes, "I wasn't ready." But I wasn't the only one who wasn't prepared, was I? I had believed that I was protecting him from the mayhem that seemed to follow me everywhere. Now that I was sitting in front of him once more, my decision didn't seem so obvious.

Leaning forward, Alex looked into my eyes. "You weren’t ready, or you just didn’t want me?" That underlying displeasure was evident when he dropped an octave in his voice. "Because I believed that we were more. I believed you could rely on me.

I took a deep breath. Have faith? I could feel the weight of that word in my chest. Was there anyone I could trust anymore? My life had been shattered by the people I trusted the most, and now Alex, the one person who had always supported me, was sitting across from me, waiting for a response I wasn't sure how to provide.

With my voice barely above a whisper, I finally added, "I'm not the same person you knew back then." I wasn't sure what I was expressing—my remorse, my grief, or my renewed will to start over. However, I was positive that during the months I was incarcerated, a part of me had perished and another part had been reborn in that sterile, frigid setting.

His perceptive eyes flickered with comprehension, or perhaps sympathy, as he observed me for a time. I felt uneasy about it.

Alex added, his voice lower now, "Listen, Jemma." "I'm not here to bring up the past. I'm aware that you're in difficulty, but I'm not sure what transpired between you and the individuals you trusted. I am also aware that you are not requesting assistance.

The words caught in my throat as I raised my eyes to meet his.

Frustrated, I retorted, "You don't know anything about me right now." "You have no idea what I've endured. What I've lost. For what I am battling.

His face hardened as he answered, "You're right." However, I am aware of what it's like to have everything go wrong. I also understand what it's like to be alone. I know better, so don't tell me you're okay on your own.

My heart thumping in my chest, I turned my head away.

I had always been challenged by Alex. The person who had encouraged me to improve and confront the things I had been hiding. There had been this connection between us even after I had pushed him away, and neither of us had understood how to break it.

I remarked in a strained voice, "I didn't ask for your pity." "I didn't ask you for anything."

He stated plainly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Then let me help."

His remarks caught me off guard, and I blinked. He spoke steadily, yet there was a hint of desperation—something unvarnished and genuine. There was more to this than his desire to intervene and correct me. This had to do with his desire to participate in whatever I was attempting to accomplish.

"Why?" Almost too brutally, I asked. "Why are you concerned? Considering everything I did...

He clenched his jaw. "Because Jemma, you are important. Furthermore, I'm not the type of man who abandons those who are important to him.

Stunned, I sat there immobile. The words struck me more forcefully than I had anticipated. Alex's straightforward statement caused me to feel feelings I wasn't sure how to handle, whether it was the weariness that had built up over the months or the weight of everything that had transpired.

Even I thought the words sounded weak, but I finally said, "I don't need saving."

He said, "I'm not here to save you." "I'm here because I can't watch you ruin yourself and you're still the woman I care about."

I gave a headshake. "You have no idea what I'm up against."

"No," Alex said firmly, "but I can help you fight it." "I have contacts." Materials. More significantly, I know how to defend myself. I am capable of taking people down.

His voice carried a certain quality that resonated deeply with me. After spending so much time alone and attempting to solve things on my own, Alex finally offered me the opportunity to rebuild, something I hadn't even realized I needed.

A part of me wanted to accept his offer, but another part of me shrank back as I let out a lengthy exhale. I was beginning to doubt my ability to trust people. Not him in particular.

"You haven't changed," I muttered, almost to myself.

He declared, "I haven't changed." "And you haven't either."

His words lingered in the space between us. My thoughts were racing with worries and possibilities. Yes was what I wanted to say. I wished to have faith in him. However, a part of me was afraid that I would only suffer harm if I

allowed myself to trust him once more.

Alex got up and said, "Consider it." "At this time, you are not required to make any judgments. But Jemma, I'm here. I'm not going away, either.

He started for the door, but he turned around right before he left. "I'll be watching for your response."

He then left, leaving me to deal with the turmoil in my head alone.

His words weighed heavily on me as I sat there. Was I prepared to give him back access? Was this another ruse, or could I trust him again?

I sat there gasping for air as the door clicked shut behind him.

The silence was broken when my phone displayed a text message.

Damien sent it.

"Come see me. Something needs to be told to you.

I went cold.

Now, what could he possible desire?