It had been a week since Jeff got discharged from the hospital. His body was healing faster than he expected, though the faint ache beneath his ribs still reminded him of what had happened.
Alden came downstairs early that morning, rubbing his eyes and half-buttoning his shirt. He froze when he saw Jenn in the living room, neatly arranging her bag.
"You're going somewhere?" he asked, voice low but sharp.
Jenn turned, surprised but calm. "Yeah, I'm heading to Jeff's."
Alden frowned, leaning against the railing. "Again?"
She zipped the bag and stood upright. "He's still recovering, Alden. I just want to check on him."
He gave a dry laugh. "You've been checking on him every day. I think he's fine by now."
Jenn sighed, her voice soft but steady. "Maybe he is. But I want to be sure."
"Sure," Alden muttered. "Because no one else can do that, right?"
Jenn froze. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, looking away. "I just—" He exhaled. "Never mind. Forget it."
"Alden," she said quietly, stepping closer. "Don't do this. He almost died. If it were you, I'd do the same thing."
He looked at her then — really looked at her. "Would you, Jenn? Because lately, I can't tell what I am to you anymore."
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came.
"Don't worry," she finally said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "I won't be long."
And before he could stop her, she was out the door.
When Jenn arrived at Jeff's apartment, she found him sitting at the dining table, papers spread across the surface, brows furrowed in deep thought.
"You're supposed to be resting," she teased gently, walking closer.
Jeff looked up, startled but smiling faintly. "I was. Then I found this mess."
He pushed a few sheets toward her — hospital forms, discharge papers, donation letters — all bearing the same logo.
"What's wrong with them?" she asked, sitting beside him.
"They got mixed up," he said. "See this one? It's from the same hospital my dad's company donated to years ago… and it somehow ended up in my personal file."
Jenn squinted at the paper. "That's odd. Maybe they just misplaced it."
Jeff nodded, but his eyes lingered on a name typed at the corner.
"Rachael ," he read aloud quietly. "Strange. It's dated twenty-one years ago."
Jenn tilted her head. "You're not planning to go detective mode again, are you?"
He smiled a little. "No. Just… curious. It feels like something I shouldn't be holding."
"Hospitals mess up things all the time, Jeff. Don't overthink it."
He chuckled softly. "You know me. I always overthink."
"Yeah," she said, smiling. "It's part of your charm."
He dropped the paper, letting it flutter back onto the table. "Forget it. Tell me something better — how's your day been?"
Jenn shrugged. "Strange. Alden's been acting cold lately."
"Can you blame him?" Jeff teased lightly. "You've been spending all your time here."
Jenn gave him a playful look. "I didn't realize nursing you back to health was a crime."
"If it is," Jeff said softly, "I'll gladly serve the sentence."
She rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile.
Meanwhile, in another city…
The morning light poured into Rachael's living room. She sat by the window, her hands trembling slightly as she held a cup of untouched tea. Across from her, Lia leaned forward, eyes soft but serious.
"You can't keep this from him forever, Rach," Lia said gently. "It's been twenty-one years. Ramsey deserves to know."
Rachael looked down, voice shaking. "How do I even start? 'Hey, honey, remember when we thought one of our twins died? Turns out the nurse lied.'"
Lia's gaze softened further. "You didn't do anything wrong. You trusted what you were told. But keeping quiet now… that's what's going to destroy you."
Rachael's eyes filled with tears. "I can't bear to see the look on his face, Lia. The disappointment, the pain. What if—"
"What if he forgives you?" Lia interrupted softly. "What if finding that child is what heals both of you?"
Rachael turned toward the window, her reflection pale against the glass. "What if it's too late?"
Lia reached for her hand, squeezing it. "Then at least you'll know you tried."
Back at The Gates house…
The evening sun reflected on the water, painting it in streaks of gold. Alden sat by the pool's edge, cigarette in hand, lost in thought.
Jovi approached quietly. "You've been out here a lot lately," he said. "You good?"
Alden didn't answer immediately."Define good?"
Jovi sighed. "Honestly? You look like a guy pretending not to care."
Alden smirked faintly. "Guess I'm not pretending well enough."
"It's about Jenn, isn't it?"
He didn't respond — which was answer enough.
Jovi sat beside him. "Look, I know you act like you don't feel things, but when you do, it eats you alive. Don't let it."
Alden flicked the cigarette into the pool. "Too late for that."
Later that night, at Jeff's apartment.
Jenn sat cross-legged on the couch, munching on snacks, while Jeff sorted through leftover files.
"You know," she said between bites, "my aunt used to make these exact same snacks. She'd call me into the kitchen just to talk while she cooked. Said I was her only good audience."
Jeff smiled. "Your aunt sounds sweet."
"She was," Jenn said quietly. "She raised me after my parents died. I never knew much about them… just that there was an accident."
Jeff looked at her curiously. "You don't have any pictures?"
Jenn shook her head. "Just a pendant my aunt gave me. She said it was my mom's."
He nodded slowly. "You miss her."
Jenn's smile wavered. "Every single day."
"Then maybe we should go see her," Jeff said. "You've mentioned her a lot. I can drive you there this weekend."
Jenn's face brightened slightly. "You'd really do that?"
"Of course. Might be good for both of us to get away for a while."
She smiled, touched by the offer.
After a brief pause, Jeff leaned back. "By the way, Tessie's birthday party is coming up. You're coming with me."
Jenn frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea, Jeff. I'm not in their circle."
"You're with me. That's all that matters," he said with quiet confidence.
She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Fine. But if I embarrass you, that's on you."
"Deal."
The silence that followed was almost peaceful — until Jeff broke it again, his tone lower now.
"Jenn… that kiss with Alden. It didn't mean anything, right?"
Jenn froze, caught off guard. She turned her face away, her heartbeat suddenly loud in her ears.
"It's… it's in the past, Jeff," she murmured.
He nodded slowly, his eyes lingering on her face. "Yeah. But sometimes, the past doesn't stay where it should."
Jenn didn't reply — because deep down, she knew he was right.