Page 126 of Broken Destiny

The kind of life we were never supposed to have together.

I scrolled through the rest of the photos, my fingers moving slowly across the screen.

Swallowing hard, I felt my heart begin to throb painfully in my chest.

There was no denying it anymore. The truth had been sitting inside me for too long. I could not let guilt continue to eat away at me.

Caleb deserved to know.

No matter what happened afterward.

No matter how much it hurt.

Drawing in a steady breath, I forced myself to act before fear could stop me.

“Selfie, everyone?” I asked, lifting my phone with a small, determined smile.

36

CALEB

The drive back to Jiya’s house was quiet after the warmth of the evening by the waterfront.

Lucas and Emma had fallen asleep in the back seat before we even reached the house, worn out from the long day. Jiya sat beside me in silence, staring out the window while the glow of passing streetlights softened the side of her face.

She still would not look directly at me.

Hours earlier, being in her bedroom had felt like stepping back in time. Everything about it reminded me of the apartment she used to have in Downtown Vancouver.

I had even noticed a white card with gold lettering on her dresser that said Thank You. I knew I had seen it before somewhere, but I could not remember where.

While helping her with the bandage on her head, I had almost forgotten about everyone and everything else. I had been completely lost in her eyes, aware of the warmth of her skin and the faint scent of her lotion, our closeness drifting dangerously toward a kiss before Emma came racing upstairs.

From that moment on, Jiya avoided my eyes completely. I could not stop wondering why.

Maybe she felt guilty because I was engaged. Maybe because of her late husband.

But I knew what I had felt upstairs in that bedroom.

Whatever existed between us had never truly disappeared.

While she tucked the children into bed, Geeta went downstairs to the basement.

I stood alone in the living room, knowing I needed the courage to finally say what had been building inside me for days.

I poured myself a glass of wine and swallowed it quickly, hoping it would steady my nerves.

I was desperate to tell her how I felt and even more desperate to hear what she felt in return. If what I believed deep down was true… if this love between us was still alive… I would fight anyone and anything to be with her again.

She had always been mine, and I had always been hers.

I began pacing in the living room beside the kitchen, rehearsing the words in my head while I waited for her to come downstairs.

That was when something caught my eye.

I walked toward the opening that led to the basement stairs and stopped.

There was a bag sitting there.