Page 3 of Falling for My Ex Next Door

“I love you too. Besides my mom, you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved this much.” I chuckled.

She smiled softly.

“I love you, Clara. You know that.”

She nodded.

“I don’t want you to entertain those ugly thoughts anymore, alright?”

She nodded again.

I gently placed my hand on her face, gazing into her eyes.

“I don’t think I would survive a breakup,” she said, searching my face for assurance.

“I love you and see a future with you.” I quickly kissed her lips. “We are not breaking up!”

Then I sprang to my feet and extended my hand to her. “Come,” I said, pulling her towards the ocean.

“But it’s so cold, Jacob!” she protested.

“That makes it more fun!” I laughed.

“Jacob, no!” she squealed as I started splashing water at her. She retaliated, and soon we were both soaking wet, laughing like children.

As we returned to the seashore, dripping and breathless, we found countless reasons to hold on to each other. As the stars began to dot the evening sky, I realized that this moment was just the beginning of our adventure.

Soon, I would ask her a question that would change everything.

Chapter One

Clara

The splatter of raindrops hit the window pane as I peered through it, gazing at my late aunt’s duplex, which appeared different from my last visit nearly half a decade ago.

After quickly calculating how I’d navigate the rain, I paid the cab driver and hurriedly opened the door, eager to reach the house without getting soaked.

Clutching my miniature travel bag in my left hand, I reached for the door handle with my right, swinging it open before stepping out into the brisk air and promptly shutting it behind me.

As I got ready to move forward, someone accidentally bumped into me. The sudden force jolted me to the side, almost making me lose my balance.

Immediately irritated, I realized plenty of things I hadn’t been briefed on.

Despite my aversion to rain, I was drenched under its relentless downpour.

“I’m sorry–” His deep and smooth voice resonated with familiarity before trailing into a hesitant pause.

Why was he offering me only half an apology? I mused, stooping to retrieve my fallen travel bag from the slick pavement, its corners dampened by the unceasing rain.

Resigning to my fate, I abandoned any notion of fleeing the scene, the cold droplets seeping through layers of clothing, chilling me to the bone.

Raising my gaze from the ground, I couldn’t help but notice the definition in his well-toned legs, outlined even beneath his sporty attire. Yet, as my eyes traveled upward, they abruptly stopped at his face. In a split second, I blinked rapidly, my mouth suddenly dry as I beheld the face before me.

I felt a piercing feeling in my chest as my eyes met Jacob Bradley’s; he was my first in so many things, but had walked away from me years ago, saying one of his father’s businesses in California or was it in Texas needed attention.

It was evident he was speechless, caught off guard by a day he probably never imagined would arrive.

Numerous thoughts raced through my mind, but amidst them all, my foremost concern was my curiosity about why he was there. He cleared his throat, preparing to speak, but I tightened my grip on the handle of my travel bag and walked away without a word.

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