Adam's Pov
I sighed, looking out the window at the rain splashing down on the city. Autumn leaves swirled outside, their vibrant colors reminding me of Jules, my beautiful wife. We'd only been married a month, and she was my everything. I missed her. But I had to tie up a few loose ends in the city before I could make it back to her. It's been two days and I feel like a addict needing his fix.
You're in everything I see Jules
"Impatient, aren't we?" A smirk played on Henry's lips, and I clenched my fists to control my anger. Henry Shepherd wasn't a friend; he was a farmhand on the run from the law. The nerve of him trying to steal Jules from me! Thankfully, she saw him for what he was, and I won her heart.
I fiddled with my gold wedding band, trying to calm my racing heart. I didn't want to strangle Henry right then and there.
"Get to the point, Henry," I growled. "Spill it, or I'll have to tell the police about your little… sideline hustles." I couldn't resist a smirk as I saw him flinch.
"What sideline hustles?" he scoffed, trying to sound confident.
"Don't play dumb, Henry," I countered. "We both know Pastor Joshua's wife didn't die of natural causes."
A flicker of fear crossed his eyes, and I felt a surge of satisfaction. Now I had his attention. I took a slow sip of coffee, savoring his discomfort.
"Be careful, Henry," I warned. "There are bigger fish in your little pond. Your shady dealings don't concern me as long as you stay away from Jules. After all, everyone has secrets, right? Compared to me, you're barely anything to make me worry. Now, talk."
Silence hung heavy in the air until Henry reached for his backpack and pulled out a brown envelope. I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain.
"Just open it," he mumbled, fidgeting nervously.
I enjoyed making people squirm, but right now, I was more curious than anything. The secrecy of my love former rival sitting across from me, his obsession with Jules – it all added to a strange feeling in my gut.
Everything reminds me of her.
The world spun like a crazy carnival ride as I stared at the pictures in my hand. There was Jules, all smiles and tangled with this other guy, Henry. What in the world was going on? My blood felt like lava, hot and angry, and I squeezed the pictures so hard I thought they might rip.
"Just wanted to let you know I had my way with your girl," Henry said, his voice like nails on a chalkboard. He was trying way too hard to act cool, but the way his eyes darted around told a different story. "Those kind of women don't stick around, Adam. Besides, I know your little secret. Big shot billionaire Barton hiding out as a regular guy, huh? Never thought I'd meet you in a million years. You're a tough nut to crack, but I have my ways."
"Why are you doing this?" I growled, the words coming out like gravel.
"No real reason," Henry said with a fake shrug. "Your fancy money doesn't impress me, Barton. You can keep it all. I just thought you deserved to know about Jules. She's playing you, Adam. She only cares about money and fancy things. I'm trying to be a good guy, see? Remember what you said about there being plenty of other fish in the sea? Well, I have friends, and let me tell you, they move in high circles. You really believed that whole act? Sweet farm girl falls for the museum guide? Come on."
"She doesn't know about this," I mumbled, my voice cracking. I tried to hold myself together, but a huge part of me already knew I was a fool for trusting her.
Henry scoffed. "Oh, dude, she knows exactly what's going on. That's how I found out about you, too. I just felt kinda bad for you, honestly. But you never listen, so I brought you the proof. Now that I've done my so-called good deed, I'm outta here. Enjoy your broken heart, Adam."
He sauntered out, leaving me sitting there like a statue. My mind was a storm, a million thoughts swirling at once. It all makes a horrible kind of sense now. I always kept people at a distance, afraid to love anyone. Afraid of getting hurt, the way my mom hurt my dad when she left with another man. My dad never got over it. He buried himself in work, making billions to prove something, I guess. But all that money couldn't bring her back. He died just a few months before I left for Montana, hoping for a fresh start. Now, here I was, feeling just as lost and broken as he did.
Jules. Just saying her name used to make my heart skip a beat. Sunshine hair, eyes like starlight - she was the sweetest girl I ever met. I thought she loved me, not the money that seemed to follow me around like a bad smell. Now, that sunshine seemed fake, those stars cold.
Damn it Jules... Damn you
One minute I was out, the next I was back in my apartment, feeling hollowed out. My head throbbed with a dull ache, but worse was the anger burning in my gut. I wanted to yell, throw things, anything to break the suffocating feeling.
"Hey there, handsome," a voice drawled. I turned, seeing Elena standing in the living room. Elena, the socialite who'd been glued to my side since we were kids. I'd tried to avoid her clingy ways, but here she was.
"What are you doing here?" I mumbled, my voice raw with exhaustion.
"You can't hide from me forever, Adam," she said, a sly smile playing on her lips. Her gaze swept across the apartment, taking in the paintings and fancy furniture. "Playing the popper aren't we?"
This apartment - I bought it a while back, thinking it'd be a special place for Jules and me. I brought her here a few times, but I never revealed everything I had. It was a test, a stupid one in hindsight. Back then, her lack of interest in the money had made me feel like I'd finally found someone real. Now, it just felt like a lie, a pretty act.
"Adam?" Elena snapped her fingers in front of my face. I realized I'd been staring into space, lost in the tangled mess of my thoughts. Here was Elena, always there, always upfront about wanting both me and my money. At least she was honest, unlike Jules,
Fury tightened my fists. Without thinking, I reached for Elena, pulling her close. My kiss was desperate, a search for something familiar, anything to erase the hollowness inside. Her lips were sweet, but they didn't taste like sunshine and wildflowers like Jules'. I deepened the kiss, her soft moans a pale imitation of Jules' fiery passion. My tongue exploring hers, a needy sound escaping her throat. Scooping her up, I carried her to the bed, desire warring with a cold knot of betrayal in my stomach. I sought solace in Elena's touch, comparing her soft moans to Jules' passionate demands. Elena was yielding, where Jules had been a whirlwind of fire. Oblivious, I thrust inside her, clothes discarded in our haste.
Then, a whisper, a tremor that shattered the fragile moment. "Adam?" It was Jules, standing frozen in the doorway, her eyes wide with a mix of hurt and betrayal. My heart lurched, a sickening thud in my chest.
Jules PovThe red clock on the car dashboard blinked angrily, almost midnight. I pulled the car over on the side of the road, a few miles away from my grandma's farm. Tears welled up in my eyes, making the headlights blurry. I couldn't handle Nana's questions – they would just poke and prod at the fresh wound in my heart.Instead, my body moved on its own, like a machine. I got out of the car and walked towards the big open field in the middle of the farm. It felt like it was calling me, this place where Adam and I first kissed. Back then, everything felt happy and perfect.Now, the silence was deafening, like a heavy blanket wrapped around me. I plopped down on the cool grass, staring at the angry red marks on my arm, leftover from a fight I barely remembered. My stomach, even though it wasn't round yet, felt heavy with a different kind of weight. I was pregnant. There was a baby growing inside me.A laugh, humorless and sad, escaped my lips. "Oh my gosh," I whispered, the words lost
~~~~~~~ ONE YEAR AGO~~~~~Jules PovUgh, another farm day. I stared out the window, watching the dust motes dance in the afternoon sun. Nothing ever happened here, except maybe the occasional cow giving birth (which, frankly, wasn't that exciting after the third time). I yearned to be hunched over my laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard as my story unfolded, I love writing. But Nana always insisted I keep her company while she cooked. Most of the time, it was nice. The smell of her apple pie simmering in the oven, mixed with the warm, yeasty scent of bread rising, always made my stomach rumble. And Nana's stories about her wild youth in the city before she settled down on the farm were the best. But lately, her forgetfulness had been acting up more and more. Sometimes, she wouldn't even remember who I was. Thankfully, that wasn't happening today.Suddenly, a loud rumble shattered the afternoon quiet. I whipped around to see a fancy, chrome car pull up by the rickety old cow fenc
Jules' POV“Are you going to just stand there and stare at me?”His voice yanked me back from my shameless staring. Heat crawled up my cheeks. Busted, plain and simple. But come on, the guy was sculpted by the gods themselves. How could you not sneak a peek?"Yeah," I mumbled, twisting a stray strand of hair around my finger as I perched on the worn couch by the barn window. For the first time in forever, I was actually grateful for Grandma's rules"all access rule," I finished lamely, glancing at Adam where he stood unpacking.He chuckled, the sound warm and rich. A hand ruffled his dark, chocolate curls, making them seem even more enticing. "The what?" he asked, a playful glint in his eyes. It hit me then - he truly had no clue. Didn't even bother skimming the terms and conditions before booking a room in the middle of nowhere Montana?"All access," I explained, deciding to be the bigger person. "Grandma's a people person. Always has been. Loves playing hostess, even more than bakin
Jules Pov:The world spun as Adam's words echoed in my head.He never loved meTears welled, blurring my vision as my body trembled in denial. This couldn't be real."You don't mean that, Adam," I pleaded, my voice cracking. "We can fix this. We just need to talk."A cold fury replaced the warmth that used to be in his eyes. "There's nothing to fix, Jules. I never loved you. You were a game, a way to escape my own life." His grip tightened on my shoulders, his anger a physical thing pushing against me."No," I gasped,"We have so many memories, so many moments , laughs... We can't throw it all away." My voice rose in desperation, clinging to the wreckage of our love.Memories flickered through my mind – stolen kisses under fireworks, whispered promises on starlit nights, the way his hand fit perfectly in mine.How could none of it have meant anything to him?"Memories?" He spat the word, his face contorted. "All I remember is your constant need. You suffocate me, Jules. You pretend to