Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 57

Chapter 57

But I was hoping that “eventually” meant years from now, when the dust had settled.

Hopefully he’d understand, and forgive me.

As we navigated the bustling port toward the local airport, my mind drifted to the ‘offer’ Jessica mentioned-the one from Grandpa.

I couldn’t believe the old man would try to ruin Aaron like that.

Why couldn’t he just accept that not every Tyrone wants to follow the “legendary hockey path”? It was a miracle Aaron broke out of that weird tradition to build his own empire.

Because of his rebellion, I finally felt like I could follow my own path.

Aaron at least stayed in sports; Grandpa is going to have a literal heart attack when he finds out I’m moving toward cybersecurity and ethical hacking.

Kennedy thinks the only way to be a “real man” is through brute force on the ice or cutthroat business deals. He’d probably try to bury me alive if he knew that was my end goal.

“Thank you, David,” Jessica whispered as we finally reached the small airport terminal.

Her voice was thin, breaking me out of my thoughts.

“I know this was a tough one for you. You risked a lot. I’m sorry for putting you in this position.”

I forced a smile, waving it off like it was no big deal, though my stomach was doing somersaults.

“Hey, what are cousins-in-law for?” The joke fell flat, but she managed a weak nod.

An awkward, heavy silence settled between us. I looked at the departures board, then back at her. I couldn’t let her walk away without one last try.

“You seriously won’t talk to him? Just to clarify? One meeting?”

She flashed a weak, trembling smile and bit her bottom lip. I could see the battle behind her eyes, the sheer effort it took not to break down in the middle of the terminal.

“There’s no point, Dave. I think we just aren’t meant to be. Loving him has brought so much hurt. I’m tired. I can’t do it anymore.”

I stared at her broken blue eyes, lost for words. They held a depth of sorrow, the kind that came from years of quiet suffering.

How could I try to convince her? She’d poured her heart out, and if what she saw was true… well, even I couldn’t detend that. But deep down, I didn’t buy it. Aaron wasn’t that guy.

“What if he checks the CCTV footage?” she asked suddenly, a flicker of panic returning. “When he realizes I’m gone, he’ll go straight to the security deck.”

A small smirk tugged at my lips. I’d already handled that.

My laptop had been open since we left the suite; I’d remotely breached the ship’s local server, wiped the last hour of the hallway feed, and set the exterior cameras on a static loop.

He won’t see us leaving. I couldn’t take the chance.

“I took care of it,” I said simply. “He won’t find anything.”

13:18 Mon, Jan 125

Chapter 57

She nodded, a very weak smile touching her face. “You’re a good person, David”

“I’m a dead man if he catches me,” I joked, though it felt a little too true.

“I have to go now,” she whispered, looking toward the gate. Her eyes flickered with concern. “And you need to get back before the ship sails. Please… don’t get in trouble for me.”

Without waiting for anything else from me, she turned and walked away.

I stood there, rooted to the spot, watching her frame disappear into the crowd of passengers.

I didn’t want to let her go alone. Hell, I didn’t want to let her go at all. She was the only thing that made Aaron feel human. and without her, I knew the version of my cousin that was coming back was going to be terrifying.

“I hope you find whatever you’re looking for, Jess,” I whispered to the empty air. “And I hope you get better.”

I turned and started the long trek back to the ship, already feeling the shadow of Aaron’s eventual rage looming over me.

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