“Oh, thank God you’re home. I’ve been trying to call you, but you weren’t answering.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. It was on silent and charging in my room,” I explain, stepping aside to let him in.
He walks in, and I close the door behind him. He follows me into the living room, his gaze immediately landing on the bottle of bourbon on the coffee table. He doesn’t comment or ask why it’s there—he glances at me for a few seconds before settling into the armchair across from me.
“You didn’t have to stop by, Jase.”
“Well, after hearing my best mate upset and hurting over the phone, of course I had to check on you.”
“Thanks, man. You’re a good friend. But I’ll be fine. It’s not the first time I’ve broken someone’s trust and had them walk away,” I admit with a humourless chuckle. “Seems I have a knack for hurting the people I care about, and it’s not exactly a talent I’m proud of.”
“She probably just needs a little space to process everything. I’m sure that once she’s calmer, she’ll want to talk and listen to what you have to say.”
“Maybe… I don’t know,” I murmur softly, dragging a hand over my face. “If you’d seen the look in her eyes yesterday, you’d think she was repulsed by me.” I shake my head, trying to cast the memory aside. “I don’t know if she’ll ever trust me completely.”
“It may seem that way now, but if you can show her that you’re nothing like the man you used to be—that you’ve changed and are working hard every day to be a better person. I’m sure you can earn her trust and forgiveness.”
“For that to happen, she has to want to see me first.”
“So do whatever you can to see that it happens.”
“I’m trying, but she won’t answer my calls or texts. If I show up at her place, she’ll just tell me to leave, and I don’t want to cause a scene in front of Zac. I don’t know what else I can do to get through to her.”
“You’re a smart, creative guy—you’ll figure it out,” he says, leaving the ball in my court. He’s careful not to suggest anything that could backfire, knowing this is my battle to fight. If I’m going to show Hope that I’ve truly changed, it’s on me to put in the effort, to prove it.
I let out a long, ragged sigh, the weight of it settling between us. “I care about her, Jase. Both her and Zac—they’ve become the best part of my days. I’d almost given up hope of ever meeting another woman who could make me feel this happy, this alive again. I thought that part of me was gone, that I’d spend the rest of my life walking alone. And then out of nowhere, Hope happened.”
My chest aches, sharp and relentless, at the realisation that Hope was what I had been seeking all along—the happiness I once believed was lost to me forever.
“After our first meeting, I never thought I’d see her again. But when I did…it felt different this time, something changed. And the more I got to know her, the more I realised I wanted her in my life. I felt this unexpected joy and excitement again that I hadn’t felt in years. I can’t just walk away from that. I can’t.”
Jason nods, an understanding look in his eyes. “You know, Kaden, that night at Chris and Gemma’s party, I could sense something there between you two—something real and deep. Chris and Gemma said they felt it too. Watching you with her, it was like she brought out this whole other side of you. And the way you looked at her all night, with so much hope, so much care, so much respect, I’ve never seen that in you before.”
“And here I thought I was the only one who noticed it.”
“I think everyone in the apartment noticed it,” he teases lightly.
A genuine chuckle slips out of me, the first in twentyfour hours. “I’m falling for her, Jase.”
“I know you are, brother.” He gives me as warm, empathetic smile. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
“I’m going to fight like hell to get her back. Even if I have to crawl on my hands and knees to reach her. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“I believe you,” he smiles widely. “And if you need me to record you on your hands and knees, I’ll happily do it on my phone.” He tosses me a wink, and I shake my head at him.
Just then, his phone buzzes. He glances at it briefly before slipping it into his pocket. “I gotta run. I’m supposed to be at the supermarket grabbing more baby wipes, and that was Mila probably wondering what’s taking so long.”
“Thanks for stopping by, Jase.”
“Will you be alright?”
I nod. “Yeah, I think I will.”
“Good,” he replies, rising to his feet. “Then in that case, I hope you don’t mind if I take this?” he says, snatching the bourbon from the table.
I chuckle. “Help yourself.”
“That’s the spirit!”
