Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 135

Chapter 135

Jessica’s POV

We moved inside, the warmth of the house hitting me after the crisp night air.

I stood in the middle of Adrian’s room, watching the two of them.

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It was a sight I’d played over in my head a thousand times, usually ending in tears and a cold pillow, but seeing it in the flesh was almost too much to process.

Addie started to scramble toward the pile of stuffed animals at the head of his bed, but I caught his ankle.

“No, Addie. Brush first.”

He let out a long, dramatic groan, his small shoulders sagging as he prepared to mount a five-year-old’s defense against the injustice of hygiene.

He opened his mouth to protest, but Aaron stepped in before the first word could escape.

“I’ve got it,” he said, his eyes soft and fixed on our son. “I want to handle the teeth. Bedtime story, too.”

A genuine, unforced smile spread across my face, the kind that reached all the way down to my bones and settled there.

“Okay,” I whispered, stepping back to let him take charge.

Aaron grinned, leaning down to Adrian’s level.

“Come on, champ. Let’s go clean those teeth.”

Adrian’s eyes went wide reluctance, but he didn’t argue.

I watched, my heart full and aching all at once, as Aaron scooped him up effortlessly.

They looked so much alike in that moment-the same stubborn chin, the same spark in their eyes.

Their heads bent together in a whispered conspiracy as they disappeared into the bathroom, the sound of their combined laughter echoing off the tiles.

I stood there for a beat, just breathing in the silence of a house that finally felt like it was healing.

Then, with a heavy but peaceful sigh, I turned back toward the kitchen to face the mountain of dishes left over from the best dinner of my life.

The warm light of the room felt clinical against the darkening world outside, and as I scrubbed the plates mechanically, Aunt Lydia’s absence hit me with a fresh sting.

She should have been here, leaning against the counter, teasing me about finally getting my head on straight.

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Chapter 135

Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them back into the soapy water.

I was so deep in the fog of my thoughts that I didn’t hear him come back.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind.

Aaron’s chest was a solid, living wall against my back, and he tucked his face into the curve of my neck, his nose nuzzling my skin.

His warmth seeped through my dress, chasing away the lingering chill of the cemetery and the night.

“Thank you,” he whispered, his breath a hot puff against my skin.

I stood frozen for a heartbeat, the soap suds dripping from my hands, before he gently spun me around within the circle of his arms.

His

gaze was so intense, so full of a thousand unspoken things, that I had to look away.

“What are you thanking me for, Aaron?” My voice was unintentionally too soft and low, barely audible over the sink’s drip.

He didn’t answer immediately, so I filled the silence, words tumbling out.

“I’m the one meant to thank you. For giving me another chance… for being there for me.. for_”

Tears choked my throat, the gratitude and guilt mixing into a knot.

“Hey.” He cupped my cheeks, his thumb catching a stray tear.

“Jess, you did me wrong. I won’t lie about that. After a lot of thinking… I see why you ran. I see the person you were trying to protect.”

“But….” he added, his voice dropping an octave, his eyes narrowing just enough to let me know the hurt was “still there, buried under the grace.

“It’s not a justification, Jess. We can’t get those years back.”

I sighed, looking at his chest.

“I know. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you both.” I swallowed, trying to change the mood.

I needed to change the air between us before I started crying again. My fingers reached out, twisting the hem

of his shirt.

“Do you.. do you like the gifts?” I asked softly.

He went blank for a second, his mind clearly shifting gears.

Then, slowly, his lips broke into a smile-a real, warm one that hit his eyes and lit up his face like the first break of dawn.

Chapter 135

“Of

-se, Jess.”

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I let out a long, ragged breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. The relief was almost dizzying.

“I’d like anything from you,” he said, pulling me a fraction closer. “The album, the letters… it was more than I expected. But-” He paused, and a familiar, mischievous glint sparked in his eyes.

“Last time I checked, you were basically a starving, broke journalist. How exactly did you afford a Patek Philippe? Tell me, Jess, do I need to worry about where you’re spending your nights?”

I jabbed a finger into his chest, giving him my best glare, though I could feel the corners of my mouth betraying me.

This was the Aaron I had fallen in love with-the relentless teaser who knew exactly how to poke at me until I forgot why I was sad.

“I saved for it,” I whispered.

He stopped smiling, his expression shifting to something more intense.

He just stared at me for a beat, the teasing gone as he realized I had spent years setting aside money for a man I wasn’t even sure I’d see again.

He let out a long, heavy sigh, his large hands coming up to cradle my face once more.

His skin was warm, his touch possessive yet infinitely gentle.

“You didn’t have to spend that kind of money, Jess. Dinners, flowers, the letters, the journals of his life I missed… those are the things wealth can’t afford. Those are the things I actually need from you,” he murmured, his gaze dropping to my mouth as his thumb traced the curve of my lower lip.

“I can buy myself a thousand watches, but I couldn’t buy a single second of the time you put into those gifts. I know you did it because you wanted to give me back what I lost, but I don’t want you stressing over price tags “in the coming years, alright? Save your money for the life we’re finally building together.”

I froze, my breath hitching as the weight of his words sank in. I looked up at him, my heart hammering hopefully against my ribs.

“In the coming years?” I whispered, the words sounding fragile.

A slow, knowing smile spread across his lips, and he leaned down until our foreheads were touching.

“Yes, Jess.” He raised a brow. “Unless you have a suitcase packed somewhere, ready to disappear again?”

“No,” I whispered, the guilt clouding my face.

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