A few days later, Jane sat at her desk, her fingers dancing over the keyboard when her phone started to ring. She picked up the call. "Hey, can you come downstairs?" Richard asked.
"Uh sure." She replied and went down from her office to meet him.
She met him in the hallway. He took large strides and hugged her, surprising Jane with the sudden gesture.
"I have a big news." He said smiling ear to ear.
"What is it?" She asked pulling away from him softly.
"My wife is returning from her trip," he replied, his voice filled with excitement. "I'd like you to meet her."
"That's wonderful! I'm really happy for you!" she exclaimed, her genuine happiness evident in her smile.
"Thanks, Jane. Everything happened because of you," he said.
Nick had just parked his car a few yards away, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel as he watched through the windshield. His heart sank the moment Richard pulled Jane into a hug. A spark of jealousy ignited in his chest, sharp and unrelenting. His jaw clenched. What's going on between them?
He barely noticed the frustrated mutter that escaped his lips, too focused on the way Jane lingered for just a second before stepping away. His stomach twisted. Something about the scene didn't sit right with him.
As Jane drove off, Nick's grip on the wheel loosened only to tighten again. He wasn't letting this go. A burning need to understand to protect her, even if it meant crossing a few lines drove him forward. He started his car and, without a second thought, tailed Richard from a safe distance.
His mind raced with worst-case scenarios, each one more unbearable than the last. Who was Richard to her? Why did she look at him like that?
The drive led to Richard's office, where Nick parked a few spaces away, watching from behind his tinted windows. The minutes stretched on, tension coiling in his chest like a spring ready to snap. He barely breathed as he observed, waiting for something anything that would make sense of what he was feeling.
Then, movement. Richard stepped out of the building. Nick sat up straighter, instincts kicking in. He started the engine, heart pounding harder as he followed him once again this time, straight to the airport.
The moment they arrived, a wave of noise and movement surrounded him. The air buzzed with the energy of travelers rushing, reuniting, saying their goodbyes. But Nick's focus was razor-sharp. He blended into the crowd, his pulse hammering in his ears as he trailed behind Richard, keeping his distance.
Then, Richard stopped. Right by the arrivals gate.
Nick's stomach twisted into a knot as he watched him scan the crowd, waiting for someone.
Who?
Then it happened Nick's breath hitched, his pulse spiking.
Richard's face broke into the widest grin Nick had seen from him all night as a girl came rushing toward him. Before Nick could process it, Richard swept her into his arms, lifting her off the ground and spinning her in circles. Their laughter rang out over the airport buzz.
Then, Richard kissed her.
Nick stiffened. His mind scrambled to make sense of what he was seeing, but the only thing that settled in his chest was a sharp, twisting ache. He's playing Jane.
His fingers curled into fists, his jaw locking as anger burned through him. Was this some kind of game to Richard? Stringing Jane along while this was happening behind her back? The thought made his stomach churn.
Without thinking, he yanked out his phone, his hands steady despite the fury coursing through him. He snapped a picture, the shutter sound barely registering over the blood rushing in his ears. Proof. He had proof.
Turning on his heel, he stalked out of the airport, his heart hammering against his ribs.
The drive home felt endless, his thoughts tangled in a storm of frustration. His grip tightened around the wheel. He had to tell Jane. She needed to know who Richard really was.
The next day was Nick's birthday, a day that should have been filled with joy. Unaware of the storm brewing inside him, Jane poured all her energy into making the day special. She had spent hours planning a surprise party at his favorite restaurant, meticulously gathering photos and videos from over the years. Every moment they had shared, every laughter-filled memory, was woven into a heartfelt montage. She wanted to remind him of their bond, of the friendship that had always been their anchor.
"Do you think Nick will like it?" Jane asked, glancing at Emily as she adjusted the decorations.
Emily smirked. "Like it? I think he might actually faint."
Jane let out a small laugh but still looked uncertain. "Are you sure?"
Emily raised a brow, arms crossed. "Jane, have some confidence. You know he loves everything you do."
Jane hesitated, fingers drumming against the table. "I hope so," she murmured.
Emily's eyes flickered to the laptop screen. "What's that video about?"
Jane didn't answer right away. Instead, she simply pressed play.
As the slides end Emily had a tear rolling down from her eye. What's wrong? Is it too much? Jane asked her worriedly. Should i delete the last part?
Emily quickly shook her head, wiping the tear from her cheek. "No, Jane, it's perfect." Her voice was thick with emotion.
Jane chewed on her lip, still unsure. "Are you sure? I don't want it to be too much. Maybe I should just..."
Emily grabbed Jane's hands before she could even think about deleting anything. "Stop overthinking. This is beautiful. He's going to love it."
Jane let out a shaky breath, her fingers still hovering over her laptop. The last part of the video the part that had made Emily tear up, was all the little moments between her and Nick. The way he'd always ruffled her hair when she was annoyed, the times he'd secretly taken pictures of her laughing, the way his gaze softened when he thought she wasn't looking. It was them in the rawest, purest form.
Jane had stitched it together with a quiet confession, her voice layered over the final scene.
Now, seeing Emily's reaction, doubt started to creep in.
"What if he doesn't feel the same way?" she whispered.
Emily gave her an exasperated look. "Jane. Come on. If this doesn't make him realize how much you care, nothing will."
Jane swallowed hard, forcing herself to nod. She wanted to believe Emily, wanted to believe that this night, this video, would make him happy.
She just didn't know that at that very moment, Nick was fuming, thinking she had been hiding secrets of her own.
When Nick called, his voice was unusually serious. "Jane, I need to talk to you about something important." The tension in his tone was impossible to miss.
Jane's grip tightened around her phone. She could sense something was off, but she couldn't let him figure things out just yet. "I'm actually meeting Richard for dinner tonight. Would you like to join us? I'll send you the address." She forced her voice to stay light, casual, even playful. If she invited him herself, he wouldn't suspect a thing.
But she knew Nick. She knew the mention of Richard alone was enough to light a fire in him.
Nick's heart slammed against his ribs. Richard. Again. Just hearing his name sent a wave of irritation through him, rekindling the jealousy that had barely simmered down. He clenched his jaw. "Sure," he said, voice clipped. His fingers curled around his car keys, grip tightening.
He didn't trust Richard, not after what he had seen at the airport. Not after the hug. Not after the kiss.
His mind spiraled as he drove, each thought darker than the last. Was Jane being manipulated? Was she falling for Richard's act? And why did it feel like he was about to lose her?
But beneath the anger, beneath the frustration, something else gnawed at him.
A voice, quiet yet persistent, whispered in the back of his mind: What if you're about to ruin everything?
Nick's words hung in the air, venomous and irreversible. Jane stared at him, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths, eyes burning with fury.
"It's no wonder your ex-husband left you. Now I understand. You get attracted to these kinds of men and let them use you."
The moment the words left his mouth, a suffocating silence followed. Jane's fingers curled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms.
"What did you just say?" Her voice was low, dangerous.
Nick's gaze was unwavering, his own pain twisting into something cruel. "I came here to warn you about him, but you're protecting him. Why? Because you love him? Or is it something more than that?"
Jane took a step back, her brows furrowing. "What?"
Nick let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Oh, don't act so innocent. I was there, Jane. I came to his birthday party and saw him taking you to his room."
And then, before she even realized what she was doing, her hand flew through the air.
The sharp crack of her palm meeting his cheek cut through the night. Nick staggered back, his eyes wide with shock. Jane's own chest heaved, the impact of her action sending a shiver down her spine.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The streetlights above cast long shadows between them, an invisible chasm neither knew how to cross.
"I can't believe you would say that," Jane whispered, her voice thick with betrayal. Her throat tightened as she took another step back, as if putting physical distance between them would dull the pain of his accusations.
Nick swallowed, his face burning—not from the slap, but from the realization of what he had just done. "I was just trying to protect you!" he pleaded, his voice raw.
Jane's laugh was hollow, void of warmth. "But at what cost, Nick? You're not listening to me. You never listen."
Her voice trembled, a mix of heartbreak and rage lacing every syllable. Then, without another word, she turned and bolted down the street, her hair whipping behind her as she disappeared into the night.
Nick's breath caught in his throat. "Jane, wait!" he called after her, his pulse pounding in his ears. But she didn't stop. She didn't even look back.
Emily stepped forward, her face a mask of disbelief. "What have you done?" she demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut through his lingering haze of anger.
Nick stood frozen, his hands still clenched at his sides.
Emily shook her head. "You're an idiot, Nick."
He blinked at her, still too stunned to respond.
"She planned a surprise for your birthday!" Emily's voice cracked, frustration spilling over. "You misunderstood everything!"
Nick's stomach twisted painfully. "What do you mean?"
Emily let out a sharp breath. "She didn't invite Richard! He came for his own business and met us coincidentally. She asked him to stop you so she could surprise you. Do you even realize what she did for you?"
Nick's chest tightened. "I..." His voice faltered.
Emily's gaze softened just a fraction, disappointment clouding her expression. "You shouldn't have spoken to her that way. Go inside and see for yourself what you just missed."
She shook her head and turned away, leaving Nick standing alone.
The weight of everything pressed against his chest like a boulder. He had ruined everything.
With leaden steps, he made his way home, his mind reeling.
The moment he stepped inside the restaurant room, an explosion of confetti burst in the air, cascading down in a flurry of colors.
Nick flinched, his breath catching. His eyes widened as he took in the room—balloons, decorations, a massive cake sitting in the center of the table. Candles flickered, their glow casting soft, dancing shadows against the walls.
And then, the screen in front of him flickered to life.
Nick's throat tightened as images filled the screen—pictures of him and her, frozen moments in time. Him sleeping on Jane's couch, a ridiculous face mask smeared across his face. Him laughing uncontrollably as they played games late into the night. He stealing fries from her plate, a teasing grin tugging at his lips.
Every single memory she had saved. His vision blurred as tears welled up in his eyes. He never realized how much she had cherished their moments together. Never realized how much she cherished him.
And then came her voice.
"Happy Birthday, Nick."
The warmth in her tone seeped into his bones, wrapping around his heart like a gentle embrace.
"Thank you for coming into my life. Thank you for being my friend. I know you must be feeling embarrassed to see all these things, but these are the memories I cherish."
Nick's breath hitched.
"When I came to the U.S., I was living a plain life, but when you came into my life, it started to become fun. You made me look forward to the next day, knowing you'd always be there. You gave my life meaning. You made me understand who I truly am. And you made me love myself again."
Nick's chest ached, his heart pounding against his ribs.
"You know everyone around me use to say that my life was over and always urged me to focus on my career alone. I never wanted love in my life again. But when I met you things changed. I started to feel alive. My heart really skipped a beat when I first saw you. I never thought much about you after our meeting in the hospital. But then I met you again. We became friends and I really loved spending time with you. I didn't realize when my feelings changed towards you. I wished to be more than just a friend to you. I don't know if you feel the same but I wanted you to know how I feel."
"I love you, Nick. Will you be mine?"
Her words hit him like a wave, knocking the breath from his lungs. His hands gripped his knees as he watched her on the screen, her eyes vulnerable and wide, her expression full of hope. He could feel the sincerity of every word she spoke, the quiet desperation in her voice as she poured her heart out.
The screen flickered as her image froze for a split second, her smile shy yet full of longing.
Nick's breath stilled, his entire body going rigid. His eyes blurred as he saw her expression shift from hope to a hesitant uncertainty, a fear that perhaps she had confessed too much, too soon. But there was no mistaking it—the depth of her feelings for him was written in every word, in every tear she hadn't let fall. The weight of her confession hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.
Her voice still echoed in his mind, a silent plea: "Will you be mine?"
The room around him seemed to disappear, his heart and mind filled with only one thought: how had he been so blind? How had he missed the way she had looked at him all this time? The love she had given him, hidden in plain sight.
He stood there, rooted to the spot, his chest tight with the weight of regret. His throat closed up as his own feelings, the ones he had buried deep, surfaced. He had always known there was something special about her. But hearing her say those words, seeing her raw emotion on the screen—that was the moment he truly understood.
Nick closed his eyes, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. He had to find her. He had to make it right. The weight of his earlier actions was unbearable. He couldn't just let this moment slip away—he couldn't lose her.