Was it possible that I was falling for every version of her at once? I wanted it all. I wanted her to call me on my bullshit. I wanted to parade her around like the most stunning woman in the room—because she always was. To lie in bed, with her rambling about whatever weird thoughts ran through her unique mind. And then shifting between making sweet love and primal sex until neither of us could move.
Before they could make their way to the stairs, Nova stopped and looked at me. Her voice cut straight through the trance Jules had me under.
“Do you want to watch YUG with us?”
I wanted to say yes. I wanted to sit with them, watch fucking YUG, and pretend for a little while that the universe hadn’t made a mistake. That theyweremine. But I felt Jules’ eyes burning into the side of my head, and I knew better than to push.
I smiled at Nova and said gently, “I would love to. But I need to talk to Mom for a sec, okay?”
“Okay!” Nova chirped before quickly continuing up the stairs, her brother close behind.
Jules’ eyes followed them, her expression softening for a brief moment. “No running up the stairs!”
But then they were out of sight, and when she turned back to me, her entire demeanor shifted. The look she gave me sent a shiver down my spine. I wasn’t sure if I was terrified or really,reallyturned on. Maybe both.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
I kept the mood light, even though I knew I’d royally screwed up.
“Pancakes?” I replied, forcing a half-smile. The look she shot me in return could’ve cut steel, and my smile faded fast.
“I’m serious,” she said, angrily tidying up the disaster we made of her kitchen. “Why would you introduce yourself to my kids without talking to me first?” Her words hit me square in the chest.
“I’m sorry!” I said quickly, holding up my hands. “I woke up, and they were already here.” It wasn’t a lie. I’d woken up to their curious little faces hovering over me, asking a million questions at once. And sure, Icouldhave made a quick exit, left without giving much of an explanation, and let Jules handle it. That would’ve been the right thing to do. The gentleman thing to do. But I wasn’t exactly a gentleman. I was—as Jules herself had pointed out before—an asshole. So I stayed.
She moved quickly, picking up the things and cleaning the counter. I watched her, trying to find the right words, but couldn’t. The truth was, I didn’t really want to say anything. It had been exactly twenty-three days since I last saw her before showing up yesterday. Twenty-three days of trying not to think about her and failing miserably. Now, in the light of day, I wanted to take her in. Her red hair, messily tied back, with some loose strands falling into her face. The faint scent of chamomile shampoo lingering in the air. And thosefreckles on her collarbone, the ones somewhere in the multiverse, weremineto kiss.
I missed her.
I missedlookingat her.
“It’s just pancakes, Blaze,” I finally said.
She turned to face me, her expression dead serious.
“It’s not that simple,” her eyes wandered somewhere else before she continued, “And don’t call me that.”
I hesitated for a second before I spoke again.
“I know,” I admitted, my voice lower now. “I’m terrible with kids. I always have been. But with them… it was different.” Normally, I froze around kids. My three nephews—who awkwardly called meUncle Christopherwhile my brothers and cousins got cute nicknames—were proof that I had no business being around them. But with her kids? It was effortless. They were sharp, unfiltered, and full of life, like their mom. For the first time, I actually wanted to be around kids. These kids.
Jules stopped cleaning and gripped the edge of the counter, her knuckles turning white as she faced me.
“They have a father, Chris. And it’s not you.” The words landed like a gut punch. Like she had reached into my head, pulled out every thought I hadn’t even dared to say out loud, and shut it down before I could even process it. I took a step back, reeling. Of course, they had a father. Of course, she had a whole life before I crashed into it. I knew that. But I was selfish enough to ignore it—because I wanted them to be mine. I didn’t want to think she had been married for all those years, and her kids had been raised by someone else.
Someone who had everything I wanted and managed to screw it all up.
If I ever met the guy, I was punching him in the balls.
“I understand,” I murmured, trying to hide how much it stung.
“I’m sorry…” she said softly. I must’ve looked as wrecked as I felt because her voice lost some of its edge, and her expression shifted.
I shook my head, trying to force a casualness I didn’t feel.
“I know I’m not their father, and I’m not your husband. But aren’t you a little curious to see what we could be?” The thought of us kept me awake at night. If we could have even a fraction of the life I’d seen in my dreams, I would be the luckiest man alive.
I wasn’t usually the hopeful type, but if the universe made the trouble of bending for us to see each other before we even met—how could I not believe there was some version of this where we worked?
