Chapter 2

The First Glimpse of Jake

In a manner that only a quiet bookshop could handle, my shift had been lengthy and the hours had dragged. They came and went, the regulars making small talk, searching for new releases, and, as usual, asking for my advice. But my thoughts drifted, as they so often have in recent years, between the present and the unavoidable ghosts of the past.

I made the decision to visit the nearby café after locking up for the evening. It was always comforting because of the place's warmth. In my hands, a cup of coffee seemed like a little bit of normality, a sense of stability in the midst of the turmoil that seemed to follow me no matter how much I tried to ignore it.

When I pulled open the café door, the familiar bell above it chimed sweetly, but the aroma of freshly made coffee and pastries didn't make the knot in my gut go away. Instead, the distinct sensation of someone observing me struck me. My hand remained on the door handle as I froze. I glanced around the room, almost automatically, and then I saw him.

Jake.

On the other side of the room, he stood by the counter, his large body resting idly on the wood. He hadn't yet seen me. I had, however, seen him. Additionally, I felt as if my heart had stopped beating.

Miller Jake.

The guy I believed I had forgotten. In ways I could never have predicted, the guy who once had my whole universe in his hands broke it. He was older, indeed; he seemed more polished and mature since his hair was a shade darker and he had some gray around his temples. The worn trousers and leather jacket he wore before were a far cry from his clean, black suit. He was still the same guy, however, despite the changes. The guy I loved in the past. I was broken by the guy.

My body betrayed me, and I stood still at the entrance, breathing shallowly. I remained there gazing at him for a long time, trying to tell myself that this was all in my head and that I was simply seeing things. It wasn't, however. He did it.

With pale knuckles, my fingers clenched around the door handle. I was forced to go. I had to go straight back out the door, pretending that nothing had happened, that I had never seen him.

But I was immobile. The weight of the past was weighing me down like an avalanche, keeping my feet planted firmly on the ground.

I wanted to yell and flee. As the seconds passed, however, all I could do was stand there, immobilized, and wait for him to glance up and see me.

Jake and I looked at each other as if destiny had finally decided it was time to confront my inner demons.

It was more than a fleeting look. No, things weren't that simple. I felt as if he could see all I had been concealing for the previous several years as his sharp, penetrating stare met mine. My expression froze, and so did his. The only sound for a minute was quiet. As if we were the only two individuals in the room, the outside world vanished into the distance.

My tongue dried up and my heart stumbled in my chest. A rush of recollections suddenly returned. His grin when we first met gave me the impression that I was the only person in the world who cared. He seemed to be unable to get enough of me based on the way he kissed me, his lips being kind but firm. I believed that he would be the one I would be with forever.

However, that was not ho

I turned my head away, unable to keep his eyes on me any longer. My hands were shaking and my heart was racing in my ears when I eventually made my feet move. Jake started talking as I retreated a step.

w things had transpired, was it? His voice was soft and low, yet it had a hint of sharpness when he murmured, "Emma." A hint of astonishment and bewilderment.

My body tensed as I heard my name, which I hadn't heard him say in a very long time. It seemed like forever ago, like a different person entirely.

Turning back to him, I replied in a tremulous voice, "Don't." "Speak my name differently."

Jake wasn't about to back down, however. With his eyes fixed on mine, he stepped closer to me. "This is the last place I expected to see you."

Why? Since you assumed I would vanish? After all this time, fade away into some kind of emptiness? I almost laughed, but my voice was a sharp, bitter one.

"Please, Emma," he urged in a soft tone but with an urgent tone now. Can we simply have a conversation? I have to provide an explanation.

Hearing his voice once again and hearing him recount things that had long since happened made my chest constrict. What had to be explained? The deception? The lies? The deserting?

I shook my head and retreated another step. "No." Don't speak anymore. Jake, this is finished. You are not allowed to return to my life after everything that you have done.

He wasn't backing down, however. He drew nearer, his presence so commanding that it seemed like the walls were closing in on me. "I had no intention of hurting you. Never did I wish to.

Despite my best efforts to remain composed, I abruptly interrupted him, raising my voice. "You did, Jake." "I was wounded by you. You abandoned me after breaking me. You believe that after years of trying to rebuild myself, you can just come back into my life and make everything right with a simple apology?

His eyes were clearly in anguish when he flinched. However, I didn't give a damn. Too much to ignore, too much to bury, were the years of pain and rage.

With a wounded voice, he said, "I know I can't fix everything." But I could try. I must try, Emma.

In desperation for the space between us, I shook my head and turned to face the counter. However, I tripped when my foot snagged on the carpeting.

Before I could collapse, I was steadied by strong hands gripping my face now near mine, his breath warm on my skin. Let me clarify. For once, allow me to clarify.

Before I could reply, the door flew open with a loud boom, and the sound of rushed footsteps filled the café. I gulped hard. With my pulse pounding, I jerked my head in the direction of the sound.

A man's towering, wide form filled the doorway as he entered the café. One could not help but notice the presence he exuded. Something about him made every nerve in my body tense, even though I didn't recognize him.

Jake's eyes darted to the newcomer, and his hold on me became a little tighter. I wasn't very interested in the dude, however. Instead, it was the way his eyes darted from me to Jake, a knowing glance that passed between them in a split second.

I retreated a step, my heart pounding more intensely than before. I had clammy hands and a racing mind from trying to figure out what was going on.

Suddenly, at that instant, I knew.

He wasn't only a stranger.

He was someone I had wanted to avoid ever seeing again.

Roth Dominic.

Breathing became difficult for me. With the pressure of the moment on my chest, everything around me seemed to slow down. It dawned on me as I glanced between Jake and Dominic.

I was, at last,, a victim of the past. And now I had more than just Jake to worry about. It was also Dominic.

Why had he come here?

And why on earth did he want it?

Secrets, lies, and everything I'd worked so hard to hide were all mixed up in the tension between the three of us. My mind was racing, trying to figure out what all of this was. I was certain of one thing, though:

The storm had only barely begun.