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.
“Don’t say that. We can still make this work. I’ve dealt with Mia. I’ll give you anything–everything–if you’ll just come back. We had four years together–are you really throwing that away over one shitty month? I know you’re pissed. You can yell at me, throw things, whatever you need. Just please, give us another chance.”
Freya pulled her hand away with surprising strength, her voice unnervingly calm.
“Yes, Jasper. One month was exactly what I needed to finally see you clearly. I don’t love you anymore. I’m not coming back. Hope you and Mia work things out.”
No More I store for a Torre That Won’t I and
78.3%
Chapter 18
She stood to leave. Jasper felt like he’d been punched in the gut. In his mind, Freya’s love had been the one constant–how could she just switch it off?
A terror he’d never felt before seized him. When she first left, he’d comforted himself believing she still cared. But now, face to face, she was actually saving their connection was dead.
Jasper fell like someone had ripped something vital from his chest. He clutched her wrist desperately. His body actually trembled as he dropped all pretense of dignity, his voice breaking
“Treya, please. I’m begging you. I know I fucked up completely. If you’ll just forgive me, we can fly home tonight and get married tomorrow. No more hiding what we are. You can keep working at Whitemore if you want, or never sey foot in that building again. Everything I have is yours. No matter who walks into our lives, I swear I’ll never hurt you again. Please, one more chance. We were together for so long–you can’t just throw it all away.”
Once, these words would have made Freya melt. This was the man she’d loved for eight years, finally offering everything she’d dreamed of hearing. But now, her heart felt like concrete that had finally set. Those eight years of emotion had calcified into something hard and impenetrable. The past only made her hate herself for wasting so much time on him.
She took a deep breath and firmly removed his hand.
“Listen carefully, Jasper. We’re done. I’m giving you exactly what you always wanted. Remember our deal? I promised that when the person you truly loved came back, I would step aside. When Mia returned, part of me hoped you might actually choose me. But you showed me exactly where I stood.”
Looking at her expression, Jasper felt her slipping through his fingers like sand.
He shook his head frantically, actual tears spilling down his face for the first time since childhood, his voice raw as he reached for her.
“Freya, please. I made a terrible mistake. One chance to make this right. Freya… Freya!”
But she didn’t look back. She walked away with straight shoulders, disappearing through the door without a second glance.
