INICIAR SESIÓNEvelyn's POVFrank's gaze drifted toward the darkness beyond the campsite, toward the endless stretch of trees standing beneath the night sky, and for a moment he seemed less like someone having a conversation and more like someone reopening a memory he hadn't visited in years.“The truth is, a group of us spent an embarrassingly long time trying to figure out who the woman was, because for years she existed in our lives almost like an urban legend, the kind of person nobody had ever seen and yet everybody somehow knew was real.”I frowned.“What do you mean?”Frank laughed softly.“I mean exactly that. None of us had ever met her. None of us knew her name, knew what she looked like, knew where she lived, or even knew whether she had the slightest idea that Julian existed, and yet every single one of us knew there was somebody, because Julian made it impossible not to notice.”The lantern beside the tent swayed gently in the wind.“The first time I realized something was wrong was whe
Evelyn 's POVThe wind moved softly through the trees, carrying with it the scent of pine and distant woodsmoke, while somewhere beyond the campsite the mountains disappeared into darkness so complete that it felt as though the entire world had narrowed to the small circle of lantern light surrounding us.I looked down at the cooling hot chocolate in my hands.For a moment, I wasn't sure how to explain something that sounded so selfish once it was spoken aloud.“On top of everything else, the worst part is that I'm not nearly as selfless as I keep pretending to be.”A humorless smile tugged at my lips.“I spend so much time telling myself that if Julian really has someone he's loved for years, if there's truly a woman who's always been the person he wanted most, then the right thing for me to do would be to wish them happiness, step aside gracefully, and be genuinely happy that he finally got the ending he deserves.”Frank didn't interrupt.Didn't argue.Didn't offer reassurance.So I
Evelyn 's POVI lowered my gaze toward Lemon.She had settled herself comfortably against me at some point, completely relaxed and utterly trusting, with her head resting across my lap and her tail lazily thumping against the grass every few seconds as though she had already concluded that everything in the world was exactly as it should be.The sight made my throat tighten unexpectedly.Because animals were so much simpler.They loved openly.They trusted completely.They never spent sleepless nights questioning intentions or analyzing conversations or wondering whether somebody's heart belonged somewhere else.When they chose someone, they simply chose them.No conditions.No complications.No ghosts from the past standing quietly between them.I looked away before the thought could hurt more than it already did.“But none of that actually answers the real problem.”The hot chocolate had begun to cool in my hands, and I found myself staring at the thin ribbons of steam still rising
Evelyn 's POVI frowned.“What do you mean?”Frank shoved both hands into the pockets of his jacket and leaned casually against the table, looking infuriatingly comfortable.“What I mean is that you seem absolutely convinced that Julian treats everyone the way he treats you, and I genuinely have no idea where you got that impression.”I blinked.Frank continued before I could answer.“Let's think about this logically for a second, because despite popular mythology, men are actually very practical creatures, and men like Julian are even worse.”That made me laugh despite myself.“That's not exactly a glowing endorsement.”“No, but it's accurate.”His grin widened.“You know what Julian is like when it comes to work, right? You know he measures everything, tracks everything, optimizes everything, and treats time like it's a non-renewable natural resource, so I need you to ask yourself a serious question.”The lantern light cast long shadows across the campsite.Lemon sighed dramatically
Evelyn's POVI dropped into a crouch almost immediately, and an instant later she crashed into my arms like a golden missile, planting her front paws directly on my shoulders while her tail wagged with such alarming force that it looked capable of generating its own weather system, and before I could stop her, she was already shoving her face into the crook of my neck and enthusiastically covering every inch of exposed skin with dog slobber.“Okay, okay, I missed you too,” I laughed, trying and failing to preserve even a shred of dignity while Lemon made it abundantly clear that she considered our reunion the most important event of the evening.And somehow, despite everything that had happened only an hour earlier, despite the fear that still lingered at the edges of my thoughts and the emotional exhaustion weighing on my chest, that was the moment when I genuinely smiled for the first time all night, because there was something wonderfully uncomplicated about being loved by a dog wh
Evelyn's POVThe words came more easily now that they had finally been released.“Instead, I've spent all this time taking up his attention, taking up his time, taking up his affection, and accepting all the things he keeps giving me as though I have some right to them, and then, on top of that, I still get angry when he lies to me, still get hurt when he makes decisions behind my back, and still act as though I'm the injured party.”The night seemed impossibly quiet around us.Even the distant sounds of the campground felt far away.“That's why I keep feeling guilty,” I admitted, my voice growing softer with every word. “Because if I truly loved Julian the way I claim I do, then shouldn't I want him to be happy? Shouldn't I want him to end up with the person he's spent years loving, the person he couldn't forget, the person who's occupied that space in his heart for so long?”I swallowed hard.“Shouldn't I be rooting for that girl instead of secretly hoping she'll never show up?”A b
Evelyn's POVDing—My phone calendar popped up with a reminder: Eve & Seb’s Wedding Anniversary ❤️.Apparently, neither Sebastian nor I had taken this date seriously enough to remember it on our own, because neither of us had mentioned it all day, even though we had only been married for two years
Evelyn's POVAutumn in Seattle looks like someone spent an unreasonable amount of money commissioning the world’s most relaxing landscape painting.Maple trees are on fire with color, the ocean stretches out in the distance like it’s posing for a postcard, snow-dusted mountains sit on the horizon p
Evelyn's POVIf this had happened before, seeing Sebastian like this would’ve broken my heart.Even if I knew he was throwing a tantrum, I would’ve instinctively started blaming myself. Did I say something wrong? Did I do something to hurt him?But ever since I found out he cheated, it’s like I unl
Julian's POVThrough the phone came the unmistakable sound of tongues sliding and saliva pressing together in a kiss.Three rows of parking spaces away, Sebastian was standing there, shamelessly kissing Evelyn.I didn’t want to hear even one more second of it.I hung up immediately and turned towar







