Act Like You Love Me (Jessica) novel Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Jessica’s POV

I sighed for the hundredth time that morning, the sound lost in the quiet of my bedroom.

Today was the day. I was officially starting as an assistant for Tyrone Global Sports.

My mind was a mess of “what ifs.”

How would it go? His reaction when he saw me? Would he yell, ignore me, or-worst of all-act like nothing had happened?

Could I even look into those brown eyes without crumbling, without remembering the way they used to light up for me?

Things were bound to be different now, charged with six years of unspoken hurt and secrets

David still hadn’t fully briefed me on my specific duties, which only added to the jittery tension beneath my skin.

I grabbed my bag from the bed, slung it over my shoulder, and headed out to the living room.

Adrian was already at the kitchen table, finishing his oatmeal, his backpack slung over the chair like he was ready for battle.

Today was a big day for both of us; it was his first day at his new school. He looked so handsome in his little polo shirt.

I was just relieved he wasn’t wearing anything too “creative” today. I didn’t want him to be the target of any first-day teasing.

“Momma!” he greeted happily, jumping up with a grin that showed off his missing front tooth.

“Morning, champ.” I kissed his forehead, ruffling his curls, and reached for my coffee mug on the counter. It had gone lukewarm while I’d gotten ready, but the caffeine jolt was still welcome.

“Are you ready, baby?” I asked.

He nodded enthusiastically, bouncing on his toes.

“Yep! I can’t wait to meet everyone and play basketball at recess!”

Unlike most kids who dragged their feet to school, Adrian loved it.

I couldn’t pinpoint why-maybe because he was such a social butterfly, thriving on friends and chatter, or perhaps the chance to shoot hoops every day. Or heck, maybe he just genuinely enjoyed learning, soaking up facts like a sponge.

Whatever the reason, I was grateful. It made mornings easier, no battles over homework or pleas to go to school.

Aunt Lydia was still asleep, so I scribbled a quick note reminding her to take her pills and left it on the fridge before heading out with Adrian.

As we walked toward the bus station, I made a silent decision. By the end of the month, when that first paycheck hit. I was getting a car. It didn’t have to be brand new, just something reliable to navigate the sprawling maze of LA

Between work, school runs, and Lydia’s medical appointments, the public transportation just wasn’t going to cut it anymore.

We arrived at the school gates just as the bell rang, kids streaming in like colorful fish in a current. I walked him inside. ensuring he was safe and settled.

His homeroom teacher, Mrs. Hargrove, a kind woman in her sixties with a warm smile and glasses perched on her nose- greeted us both.

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Chapter 72

“He’ll fit right in,” she assured me, and we exchanged numbers just in case.

I gave Adrian one last hug, and watched him dash off to his desk with a fearless energy, before heading out.

By the time I hailed a taxi, it was 10:16 already. I was officially late on my first day.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, sliding into the back seat.

“Where to?” the driver asked, eyeing me in the rearview.

“Aaron Global Athletics please,” I said, pulling up the address on my phone to confirm.

It was Aaron’s company, the hub for scouting and training young athletes, a sleek operation that screamed success.

The taxi pulled up to a towering glass skyscraper that seemed to pierce the very clouds.

The parking lot buzzed with high-end cars sliding in and out-BMWs, Teslas… and the likes.

I paid the fare, took a deep breath to steady my racing heart, and stepped inside.

The lobby was a cathedral of marble and steel.

Before I could even reach the receptionist, the elevator doors slid open and David stepped out.

He was dressed in all black: a waistcoat, a crisp shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and tailored slacks.

His blonde hair, usually bright, looked darker now, the roots shifting to shades of black and brown, giving him a more brooding edge.

He saw me and a dazzling smile broke across his face. “Jess!”

He strode over and pulled me into a hug. I felt a flush of awkwardness as several employees, and a few passersby slowed down to stare.

Whispers would start; small talk about the new girl getting cozy with the boss’s right-hand man. Not what I wanted on day one; I just wanted to be invisible.

When he pulled back, I managed a smile. “Hey.”

He checked his wristwatch, smirking. “You’re late, Miss Reid.”

I offered a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry.”

“Come on.” He led me toward the elevator, his hand lightly on my back,

Inside, as the doors slid shut and we ascended, he dove into the job details.

“You’ll be available to Aaron 24/7,” he started.

“You need to be active on every social media platform to counter/any fake news or leaks. You’ll manage his business and personal schedules to make sure they never collide. And,” he paused as the elevator dinged, “you’re getting a visa for at least fifty countries. Aaron travels constantly for tournaments and tours. All your documents and trips will be handled and sponsored by the firm.”

We stopped in front of a massive set of double doors. His name was etched into the frosted glass in bold, intimidating

letters: AARON TYRONE. CEO.

I swallowed hard. My legs felt heavy.

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Chapter 72

David sensed it and squeezed my arm. “It’s going to be fine, Jess.”

He was about to open the door, but I stopped him, my hand on his. “Is he expecting me?”

David pursed his lips, hesitating. “An assistant? Yes. You? No.”

That ramped up my nerves to eleven. David pushed the door open anyway. Immediately, a blast of ice-cold AC mixed with a very specific cologne hit me.

It was the same scent I used to wake up to in our shared apartment. The same one that lingered on my clothes after a long night of reading on the couch with him.

Aaron sat behind a desk made of a heavy, dark stone; the kind of furniture that looked more like a power statement than a place to work.

His head was down, his brow furrowed as he scribbled notes on an ipad.

Seeing him like this, after six long years, felt surreal; it was like stumbling into a memory I hadn’t quite finished processing.

“Ron,” David called out.

Aaron didn’t look up immediately. He just shook his head subtly, a sign for David to continue.

“She’s here.”

I counted the seconds. Twenty-one. That’s how long he made me wait before he finally lifted his head.

The moment his dark brown irises met mine, I felt my internal walls crumble. He was more handsome than I remembered.

His hair was slightly longer, and he’d traded the sexy mustache and goatee for a thick, rugged stubble that made my fingers ache to touch it.

I saw a kaleidoscope of emotions flash through his eyes: shock, relief, and a deep, agonizing longing.

I expected him to jump up. I expected the “crazy search” David described to end in a hug that broke my ribs.

Instead, his jaw clenched, and he looked away.

“She can begin. Her office is ready,” he said.

His voice was flat, completely devoid of emotion.

The indifference hurt, it hurt more than seeing him with Fiona that day.

I tried to remind myself that this was exactly what I should have expected, but it didn’t stop the stinging in my chest.

David’s expression softened with sympathy as he glanced at me. He reached out and squeezed my hand before grabbing my elbow to lead me out.

“Uhm, Ron?”

Aaron looked up again, his eyes as cold as a winter morning. “You’ve told her the rules, right?”

David shook his head. “I was just about to-”

Aaron raised a dark brow. “That was supposed to be the first thing, Dave If another Mira incident happens, you’ll be the one taking the fall.”

Dave saluted playfully, trying to lighten the mood. “Yes, sir.”

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Chapter 72

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He led me toward the door. I resisted the urge to look back, but as we reached the threshold, I couldn’t help it. I turned, just for a split second, to catch one last glimpse of his face.

Aaron’s POV

It felt like a dream-a feverish, impossible dream. Jessica was alive. She was standing in my office. She was my new assistant.

She looked radiant. The girl I had known had been replaced by a woman who looked mature, defined, and hauntingly

beautiful.

Her curves were more prominent, and her ocean-blue eyes, the ones that used to be full of light-seemed dimmed, guarded.

I wanted to vault over the desk. I wanted to hold her until the last six years felt like a bad memory. I wanted to kiss her until she told me where the hell she’d been.

But I stayed rooted in my seat, paralyzed by a wall of white-hot anger and confusion.

Her disappearance had shattered me. It had turned me into a ghost. And now she just walks in for a different position in my life?

I had to force myself to stay calm, to keep myself from throwing a thousand questions at her all at once.

I knew she was watching me. I could feel the weight of her stare on the back of my neck. But I didn’t look

Just knowing she was alive and standing in the same room was enough for one day.

Anything else-confrontations, explanations-could wait.

I couldn’t.

My phone started buzzing on the desk, the vibration rattling against the wood. I glanced down and saw Lauren’s name.

“Oh, fuck it,” I muttered, silencing it.

My life was about to become a goddamn theater.

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14:16 Mon, Jan 12