Page 76 of Breaking
"Jenna, stop," he interrupted, voice calm but urgent. "I meant I'd walk away from the painting... not you. Never you."
"Oh." Her cheeks burned hot, mortification flooding her veins. "You... oh. That's... sorry. I-I misunderstood."
"It's okay." A long, weighted pause. "Do you, uh, want me to come by and-?"
"No!" Her voice squeaked. "No, it's fine. I'm good. Just-" She exhaled shakily. "I'll see you around. Good night, Troy."
She hung up before she could embarrass herself further. Pressing the phone to her forehead, she groaned. How can I face him after this? The logic of her misunderstanding rattled around in her head, sending a fresh wave of humiliation coursing through her. She'd assumed the worst, jumping to a conclusion that he was done with everything.
She sank onto the couch, hugging a throw pillow to her chest, her face still hot from imagining Troy's amused exasperation. The hush of the house weighed heavily, and for once, her thoughts circled back to that silhouette in the painting: Should she stand still or dare to step forward again? For the next few minutes, she simply watched the painting as though it might speak. When her phone buzzed for the first time since she'd turned it off, the screen revealed a cluster of messages, none from Troy. She set it aside, choosing silence over more complicated distractions.
At last, she got up and padded over to the painting. There, hidden at its lower edge, she discovered Troy's tiny inscription-
"For J. Crossing a threshold is never easy, but sometimes there's wonder on the other side."
Jenna inhaled a shaky breath, hugging her own arms. She knew in her gut that no matter how she tried to push him away, Troy wasn't giving up so easily. With the painting propped safely indoors, she couldn't help but wonder if that solitary figure might someday take a step forward-or if it would remain frozen on the brink of change forever.
Chapter 59
Jenna
The morning after the gallery, Jenna had barely taken a sip of her coffee before the sound of footsteps thundered down the stairs.
Dani. With Dylan trailing behind, looking half-asleep and fully unimpressed.
Dani, of course, was grinning like she had just uncovered the world's best gossip. Dylan, meanwhile, rubbed his face, muttering something aboutungodly hoursandnot enough sleep to deal with this nonsense.
"Good morning, housemates," Dani chirped, grabbing an apple from the counter and perching on the stool across from Jenna in her fluffy pink robe.
Jenna, who was in no mood for Dani's enthusiasm, narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?"
Dani beamed. "Oh, nothing. Just... Troymighthave begged me to convince you to come to the artisan fair today."
Dylan groaned. "This issoembarrassing."
Jenna froze mid-sip. "Excuse me?"
Dani waved a hand dramatically. "Oh, don't look so betrayed. He caught me on my way back from school yesterday and practically threw himself at my feet."
Dylan snorted. "Heaskedyou, Dani. Let's not rewrite history."
Dani ignored him. "Anyway, he wants you to go.With me,of course." She gave Jenna an exaggeratedly innocent smile. "I am yourchaperone."
Jenna folded her arms. "Oh, for God's sake."
Dylan, now leaning against the counter with a bowl of cereal, chewed slowly and watched the exchange like it was his morning entertainment. "Youareaware you could just say no, right?"
Dani turned to him with mock outrage. "Dylan. Where is the romance? Where is the drama?"
Dylan deadpanned, "Oh, it's here. I just hate it."
Dani turned back to Jenna. "So, what's it gonna be? You love artisan fairs. You love local art. You love handmade ceramic mugs that cost too much money butspark joy." She leaned forward, voice conspiratorial. "And whether you admit or not, you don'thateTroy."
Jenna sighed, rubbing her temples.
She did love artisan fairs.
And,fine, maybe she didn'thateTroy.
