novelxo Chapter Billionaire My Husband 144
PART 3 - CHAPTER 144
PART 3 - CHAPTER 144 JESS
The rhythmic slap of my shoes against the pavement echoed around the nearly empty campus. My body hummed with energy, every muscle and tendon firing like clockwork, propelling me into the run. I loved this.
The solitude, the way my thoughts could scatter like the leaves along the path. No one to judge me. No questions. No missing pieces.
As I rounded the corner by the library, I almost screamed when someone stepped into the path from fucking nowhere!
I swerved to avoid them, my heart hammering wildly in my chest, and before I knew it, I was on my knees, gasping for breath. My hands pressed into the cold pavement, trying to regain control of my racing heart Shit.
"Jess!" A voice cut through the pounding in my ears, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, still panting, and found Aiden crouching beside me, his face twisted in concern. "Are you okay?"
I blinked up at him, still trying to catch my breath, confused by the panic on his face. My breath came in sharp bursts, but I wasn't injured, just scared shitless for a second. I stood up and
PART 3 CHAPTER 144
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brushed the dirt off my knees. "Am I okay? You scared the shit out of me," I wheezed, shaking my head, laughing at my
ridiculous response.
Aiden stepped back awkwardly, his brow furrowed, and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you. My bad. I forgot about... Anyway."
He trailed off, his words hanging in the air.
I straightened, looking him over. "Forgot about what, Aiden?" I asked, frowning at how his eyes darted away like he didn't want to say it.
"Never mind," he muttered, turning to leave, but I wasn't about to let him off that easily.
"No, wait," I grabbed his arm without thinking, and he froze, glancing down at where my fingers were wrapped around his wrist. I quickly let go, the awkwardness between us thick in the air. "What used to happen? Tell me."
He hesitated, his eyes scanning my face like he was deciding whether or not to let me in on the secret. His shoulders sagged slightly, and after a long pause, he finally spoke. "You used to get panic attacks. Bad ones."
I stared at him, my brain trying to process his words. "Panic attacks?" I repeated, the phrase feeling foreign in my mouth. I couldn't remember ever having one. But the way Aiden looked at me made it clear he'd seen me have one. "I don't remember..." I whispered, more to myself than to him.
Aiden took a step closer, his hand hovering near my arm as if he
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wanted to comfort me but wasn't sure if he should. "It's okay. You don't have to remember everything all at once. But just... take it easy, okay? You scared me back there."
I nodded absently, my mind spinning. Panic attacks. What else don't I know about myself? It all felt like a puzzle that I couldn't quite put together, no matter how hard I tried.
"I'm fine," I said, more to convince myself than Aiden. I wasn't even sure what "fine" meant anymore. But whatever this was, I had to figure it out. Because if I didn't, the missing pieces would drive me insane.
Aiden's concerned gaze lingered on me as he stepped back, giving me space. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. T'lI...."
As Aiden jogged back alongside me, I could feel his eyes on me, like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how. We made our way across campus in silence until my dorm building appeared.
"You should really think about joining the track team again," Aiden said suddenly, breaking the quiet between us. "You're ready, Jess. I can tell."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Yeah. No," I said, brushing him off with a smile.
I turned to walk away, thinking that was the end of it, but before I could take another step, Aiden grabbed my arm, pulling me back toward him.
I "Jess," he said softly, and before could react, his arms were around me, enveloping me. It wasn't the friendly hug I'd
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expected-it felt different.
More intense.
My breath caught in my throat as he pulled back just enough to look down at me, his eyes searching my face like he was seeing something he hadn't before. His hand reached
up, and to my surprise, he brushed a strand of hair from my face, his fingers lingering there for a moment longer than they should have.
The gesture was intimate, too intimate.
I froze. My heart was pounding in my chest as Aiden's thumb lightly traced my cheek. His gaze lowered, settling on my lips. For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me, and to my surprise, I didn't pull away. My pulse quickened as I felt myself leaning in, just slightly.
But then, right at the moment when our faces were inches apart, something inside me screamed to stop.
This wasn't right.
I quickly stepped back, creating space between us, my heart racing for reasons I didn't fully understand. "Aiden," I breathed, my voice shaky.
His eyes flickered with something-regret? Confusion? But before he could say anything, I quickly added, "I have to go..." but I heard someone clear their throat behind me before I could finish my sentence. The sound was subtle but deliberate, stopping me in my tracks.
Slowly, I turned around, my heart pounding for a different
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reason now.
There, parked just a few feet aw familiar in a way that sent a chill plucked straight from the dream
PART 3-CHAPTER 145