Chapter 3

• OLIVIA
• The moment Jessie walked down the stairs earlier that evening, I felt it again—that strange, undeniable pull that had taken root since earlier today when I saw her for the first time. . She was radiant in that silver dress, her innocence and simplicity making her more alluring than she could possibly realize. It wasn’t just her looks that captivated me; it was her quiet confidence, the way she carried herself with such grace and ease.
• Cal must have felt it too. I caught him glancing at her, his eyes lingering just a fraction longer than they should have. It was the same way I had looked at her. The way she lit up the room was impossible to ignore, and as she left with Tamara, I found myself wishing I could hold her back, keep her here with us.
• After they left, Cal and I sat in silence for a while, the television playing some show neither of us was paying attention to. I finally broke the silence.
• “Did you notice how beautiful Jessie looked tonight?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
• Cal glanced at me, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then he nodded slowly. “Yeah, I did.”
• There was something in his tone—something that mirrored the way I felt. I took a deep breath, my heart pounding as I decided to tell him the truth. “Cal, I think…I think I’m attracted to her.”
• His eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t look shocked. If anything, he looked relieved. “You too?”
• Hearing him say it out loud made my stomach twist and flutter all at once. “You feel it too?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
• He nodded, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what it is, Liv. I’ve never felt this way before…not about anyone. Not even you. It’s different.”
• His words should have hurt, but they didn’t. I understood exactly what he meant. “It’s the same for me. She’s…she’s special.”
• For a moment, we sat in silence, the weight of our shared confession settling between us. It wasn’t jealousy or anger that filled the space—it was understanding. Jessie wasn’t just a passing fascination for either of us. She was something more, something we couldn’t explain.
• I remembered the first time I met Cal back in high school. He was sitting alone on the bleachers during lunch, his nose buried in a book. He wasn’t like the other boys—loud and obnoxious, always trying to prove something. He was quiet, thoughtful, and a bookworm.
• I had been the new girl, nervous and out of place, but something about him drew me in. I sat next to him that day, and we started talking about the book he was reading. By the end of lunch, I knew I wanted to see him again.
• We became inseparable after that, spending every moment we could together. Cal was my first in every way—my first love, my first kiss, the first person who truly understood me. And I was his first too. He told me once that he never thought he could feel so deeply for anyone, that I had opened a part of him he didn’t know existed.
• Even after all these years, through the ups and downs of marriage, Cal and I had always shared a deep connection. But Jessie…she awakened something in us that we had never felt before. It wasn’t just attraction—it was a magnetic pull, a kind of raw, unfiltered need that neither of us had experienced.
• When Jessie came home with Tamara, drunk and unsteady, I couldn’t stop myself from watching her. Even covered in Tamara’s vomit, she was beautiful. She apologized softly as she made her way upstairs, and I couldn’t help but admire her grace, even in such an awkward moment.
• Later that night, as Cal and I lay in bed, I turned to him. “What do we do about this?” I asked.
• He sighed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. “I don’t know, Liv. But I do know one thing—whatever this is, it’s real. And it’s not going away.”
• I reached for his hand, holding it tightly. “We have to be careful, Cal. She’s young, and she looks like she has never been in a relationship, not to talk of what we are about to spring on her." I told him.
• He turned to me, his eyes filled with something I hadn’t seen in years—vulnerability. “I know. But I can’t help the way I feel, and I know you can’t either.”
• We lay there in silence, the weight of our feelings pressing down on us. Jessie was more than just a passing fancy. She was the first person who had ever made us question everything we thought we knew about love and desire.
• The following morning, I woke up to see Cal still fast asleep, resting his head on my stomach, I stroked his hair thinking about Jessie.
• To get my mind off of her, I decided to go down to make breakfast. Even though Tamara will not be waking up anytime soon, I can still make for Cal, Jessie and I. I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and put on a robe before walking out of the room.
• As I stepped into the hallway, the soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow on the quiet house. The faint sound of birds chirping outside helped calm my nerves, but Jessie was still at the forefront of my mind. The way she’d looked last night, the shy way she glanced at me—it was all too vivid.
• When I reached the kitchen, I was surprised to find Jessie already there. She was standing by the counter, dressed in an oversized sweatshirt, her hair slightly messy but effortlessly beautiful. She was making tea, her movements slow and deliberate as though she was lost in thought.
• She turned when she heard me, her eyes widening slightly before she gave me a small, sleepy smile. “Good morning, Olivia,” she said softly.
• “Morning, Jessie. I didn’t expect to see you up so early after last night,” I said, trying to sound casual as I walked over to the counter.
• She laughed quietly, a sound that made my chest tighten. “I always wake up early, almost like I have an inbuilt alarm in my body."
• I nodded, relating to that. I opened the fridge to pull out some eggs and vegetables. “I was about to make breakfast. Are you hungry?”
• Jessie hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, that sounds nice. Can I help?”
• “Of course,” I said, handing her a cutting board and a knife. “You can chop these peppers.”
• We worked side by side in comfortable silence, the occasional clinking of utensils and the sound of chopping filling the room. Every now and then, I glanced at her, unable to stop myself. She seemed so focused, her brow furrowed slightly as she carefully diced the vegetables.
• “So,” I began, trying to ease the growing tension I felt, “how was your night with Tamara? Did you have fun?”
• Jessie smiled, her eyes twinkling. No matter what she did, she still looks so beautiful. “It was okay. Tamara’s… a lot,” she said with a small laugh. “But it was nice to get out for a bit.”
• I nodded, feeling a strange pang of jealousy at the thought of her spending time with Tamara. But they are best friends, so it's understandable. “Well, I’m glad you’re back safe. You looked beautiful last night, by the way.”
• Her cheeks flushed a deep red, and she looked down at the cutting board. “Thank you,” she murmured.
• For a moment, neither of us said anything, the air between us charged with something unspoken. I wanted to say more, to tell her how stunning she was, how she made me feel things I hadn’t felt in years. But I held back, afraid of overwhelming her—or worse, scaring her away.
• Just then, Cal appeared in the doorway, his hair disheveled and his eyes still heavy with sleep. He froze when he saw us, his gaze flicking between Jessie and me.
• “Morning,” he said, his voice low and raspy.
• “Morning,” Jessie and I said in unison, and I couldn’t help but notice the way Cal’s eyes softened when they landed on her.
• He walked over to me, placing a hand on my lower back as he kissed my temple. “Smells good,” he said, glancing at the stove.
• “Jessie’s been helping,” I said, smiling at her.
• Cal’s lips curved into a small smile as he looked at her. “Thank you, Jessie. You’re a natural in the kitchen, huh?”
• Jessie blushed again, ducking her head. “I just chopped some vegetables. Olivia did most of the work.”
• Cal chuckled, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer before he turned back to me. “Need any more help?”
• “No, we’re almost done,” I said.
• I served the breakfast and we all sat to eat. We were almost done when Cal got a call on his phone. The ringtone made me know that it is a work call.
• "Gotta take this." He stood up and turned around the table to give me a kiss. I noticed the mischievous glint in his eyes and he faced Jessie giving her a peck on her forehead before leaving. "Thanks for the breakfast." He called on his way out.
• I wanted to laugh out loud with how shocked and still Jessie was. But decided against it, I kept eating my food making sure not to look in her way so she would not feel even more awkward.
• To ease the tension in the room, I decided to talk about something else.
• "Do you have any plans for today?" I asked her.
• "Nothing, not really. I was planning on staying indoors and maybe reading a book or watching a movie. Tamara will not be up anytime soon." She replied.
• "I have some new flower seeds to plant, would you like to join me?" I asked her. "It's very relaxing and the fresh air could do us some good."
• "Sure I'd like that." She smiled.
• We cleaned up the kitchen and went back up. "I will see you soon. Wear something comfortable for the sun, it's going to be really hot." I told her before I walked into our room.