Alicia hadn’t expected to hear what Harry told her, yet she couldn’t find a single reason to doubt him. He hadn’t sounded evasive or defensive, if anything, he sounded tired, honest in that way people get when they’ve already accepted that the truth might complicate things. Trust didn’t always come from certainty. Sometimes it came from the absence of red flags, and Harry, for all his secrets, hadn’t tripped any alarms in her mind.Ignorance, after all, had its comforts. People often called it bliss, but Alicia knew it was more complicated than that. It was the same logic people used when they deliberately avoided checking their partner’s phone, not because they were overflowing with trust, but because they weren’t ready to confront what they might discover. Sometimes, not knowing felt safer than facing a truth that could shatter the illusion you were clinging to.Even so, Alicia understood that the answers she was searching for were right behind that door. She stared at it for a mome

Harry moved from one house to another with almost comical ease, drifting between women the way a call boy might move between appointments. Strangely enough, he didn’t resent it. If anything, it helped him kill time, filling the long hours with distraction and warmth. He was fully aware that this phase of his life wouldn’t last forever. Soon, his schedule would tighten, responsibilities would pile up, and freedom like this would become a luxury he could no longer afford. Until then, he figured he might as well give these women the attention they wanted, and perhaps needed, while he still could.At Alicia’s place, she guided him to the couch and gently pressed him down onto it. As close as she was now, Harry caught the faint scent of sweat clinging to her soft skin. It wasn’t unpleasant. If anything, it reminded him that she was real, present, human.“Take off your shirt,” Alicia said quietly, her voice low and tender.Harry didn’t argue. There was no reason to. He pulled the shirt over

Harry’s time with Alicia was coming to an end, though not because he was eager to leave. The main reason was simple, she needed to get back to work. Still, before they parted ways, Alicia suggested something she had never done before with anyone else. She asked him to come with her. “To work?” Harry asked, lifting a brow. “You’re sure you want me there?” Alicia nodded immediately, smiling wide, her enthusiasm impossible to miss. “Yeah. I want you to come.” Harry considered it for a second before asking, “So… whose car are we taking? Yours or mine?” It wasn’t a major concern, but Alicia paused anyway. “Well… maybe mine?” she said slowly, realizing she’d never actually driven him anywhere before. Harry tilted his head. “Then how do I get back when I want to leave?” Leaving his own car behind made no sense. He’d have to come back for it later, and the idea already felt like unnecessary stress. “I think I’ll just take mine,” Harry decided after a beat. “We can do your car anothe

Rhiannon found herself stuck in her own head again, spiraling into thoughts about her love life. Or rather, the lack of one worth mentioning. Lately, she’d been wondering if she would ever come across a man even remotely comparable to Harry, someone genuinely kind, attentive, and grounded. Men like that didn’t exactly sit on shelves waiting to be picked up. You couldn’t just walk into a place and choose one off a rack like it was nothing.Melissa, somehow, had struck gold.And that realization made Rhiannon ache in ways she didn’t like admitting to herself.It wasn’t envy, not exactly, but longing. She caught herself wishing she could meet a man just like him. Someone steady. Someone protective without being suffocating. Someone who showed up when it mattered.What reassured her, though, was the fact that Harry had never once flirted with her. Not even accidentally. No lingering looks. No subtle comments. Nothing that crossed even the faintest line. If anything, that alone spoke volum

Everything seemed to be falling into place, and when Harry returned home, he was greeted by a clean and spotless apartment, and a home cooked meal.He couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face, though what surprised him even more was the fact that Melissa had gone out of her way to do all this just for him.“Welcome home!” Melissa said brightly, clearly thrilled to see him, and for a moment, they really did resemble a married couple.She hurried toward him, wrapping her arms around his body and pressing a kiss to his lips before he could even fully step inside.“You look even more beautiful than when I left. Should I take this as a sign that we’re ready to make this permanent?” Harry teased casually, though, as always, Melissa took his words far more seriously than he intended.Her gaze dropped to the floor immediately, and Harry wasn’t surprised in the slightest; he had anticipated this reaction, which was precisely why he had made the comment in the first place.“Relax,