The meeting spot was a quiet coffee shop tucked away from tourist traffic. As Jasper pushed through the door, a small bell announced his arrival. His eyes instantly locked onto Freya sitting in a corner booth.
Just one month apart, yet it felt like an eternity of punishment. Finally seeing her in person gave him a strange disconnect, like stumbling into an old dream.
She looked different
Working for him, she’d always dressed in crisp business attire. Even during their most intimate moments, she’d maintained a certain polish about her.
Now she wore relaxed clothes, her hair pulled back in a casual style that exposed her neck. She looked more like the Freya from Harvard–before everything got complicated.
He paused before approaching, finally walking over with what he hoped was a warm smile.
“Hey, Freya. Been a while.”
He fought the overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms, instead drinking in every detail of her face.
“Ler’s skip the small talk. I only agreed to meet for closure,” she said flatly.
She took a sip of coffee, but before she could continue, Jasper jumped in.
“I get it. I screwed up royally. I didn’t understand what I really wanted, and I let Mia treat you like garbage. Freya, I’ve finally figured out that I love you. It’s always been you.”
He spilled it all out, eyes bright with desperate hope, waiting for her response.
In his mind, their reunion would play out like a movie–she’d forgive him, fall into his arms, and they’d return to New York together. But her expression never changed. She simply gave him an empty smile that didn’t reach her
eyes.
“Too late, Jasper. Your apology, your feelings–all of it. If that’s your whole speech, I should head out. Nothing left to discuss here.”
Jasper’s face crumpled. He instinctively grabbed her hand, panic rising in his chest.
No More I store for a Torre That Won’t I and
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