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Fourteen days. No word. No message. No call. Just silence.

Erin was unraveling. Cass tried to help—distracting her with Broadway, baby plans, pizza, anything to keep her from breaking. But every night, Erin curled up with Detective Chuckles, whispering a prayer she was scared no one could hear:

“Please be okay, Jay.”

And then… 📱 “Hey babe… still remember me?”

A breath. A sob. A trembling video call. He’s alive. He’s tired. And he missed her.

But the light in his eyes? Dimmed. The smile? Fragile. And under the teasing… Erin can feel it—he’s not okay.

So she pushes. She listens. She fights to keep them in the light.

Until the truth comes out: 🧠 A mission that changed him. 🧸 A bear that’s seen too many tears. 💬 A confession: “You weren’t part of the equation… and now I don’t know how to be without you.”

And just when her heart starts to steady, Cass knocks on the door. Erin sends her away. Because tonight? She needs Jay more.

But even with love burning across the distance… Even as they talk about kids, about laces, about someday— The pain is still there. The ghosts. The guilt. The past.

She wants to help. But he’s still holding back.

🔍 Do you think Jay’s ready to open up fully? 🧸 What do you think Chuckles heard during those 14 days? 👀 Did you catch how much Erin's starting to hope for more?

📖 Read Chapter 10 now:

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Some moments feel gentle on the surface—but underneath, they’re unraveling you.

Jay didn’t plan to stay. Erin didn’t plan to ask. But when hearts are breaking quietly, plans don’t really matter.

There’s so much unsaid between them. So much almost. And the weight of their history sits in every gesture, every word, every silence.

Erin is running on empty but still giving Jay everything she has. And Jay? He’s unraveling—haunted by guilt, fear, longing, and all the things he never stopped feeling.

💔 “Goodnight, my angel.” He means it. He always has. But maybe this time… she actually hears it.

Did this chapter break your heart a little too? Do you think she knows what he’s holding back? Is it really too late for them—or just beginning again?

📖 Read Chapter 11 now:

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Jay’s been in New York five days, but no mission can distract him from the real search—the one that’s haunted him for five years. He walks the streets, hoping for a glimpse of Erin. And just when he’s ready to give up, there she is. In front of the FBI headquarters. In a white silk shirt. Coffee hits the ground. Hearts stop. No plan. No words. Just “Er?” And somehow… that’s enough to start something again.

✨ Would you have spoken up, or stayed hidden? ✨

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He held her hand like it meant everything— Until she saw the ring. Black titanium. Nine months married. To Hailey. And Erin? She unraveled right in front of him.

The moment shattered. She fled. He waited. Terrified she might not come back.

💬 “Why the hell does this still hurt so much?”

In the bathroom, Erin faces a truth she’s avoided for years: She’s not over him. And she may never be.

—

Would you have gone back to the table?

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A quiet café. A cappuccino. A hand across the table. Jay finally tells Erin the truth—about Bolivia, about quitting Intelligence, about being lost. What was supposed to be a goodbye becomes something much more raw, tender, and vulnerable. Their hands find each other again. So do their hearts.

💬 “Then let me help you find a way,” she says. And for the first time in years… he thinks maybe he could.

—

Would you have told her the truth? Or walked away? 🥀

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Jay is unraveling. The job that once gave him purpose now feels like a cage. The lines are blurred, and the weight of his choices is pulling him under. He’s not running toward anything — just away from everything he’s lost. And now? New York is calling. Bolivia is waiting.

✨ What do you think Erin would say if she knew he was back in New York? 👀

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Jay’s moved on — at least that’s what he tells himself. Five years, a marriage, and a thousand quiet nights later… He still can’t forget the woman who never said goodbye. 🔗 Read on AO3 🔗 Read on FFnet 🔗 Read on Wattpad

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Almost.

Jay hasn’t heard Erin’s voice in two days. The nightmares are back. The hunger for her touch is louder than the heat, the missions, the noise.

So when the CO throws a barbecue and a soccer game to “boost morale,” Jay forces himself to go. Burgers. Dust. Laughter. Mateo’s haunted eyes. And for a moment, under the sun, he almost forgets. Until he twists his ankle. Until the medic’s hand slides too far. Until temptation whispers: She’d never know.

But Jay would. And that’s enough.

💬 Soldiers, burgers and soccer under a brutal sun 💬 A kid carrying a deadly mistake 💬 A medic who crosses a line 💬 Jay choosing Erin... even when no one’s watching

It’s not pretty. It’s not fixed. But it’s a choice. Every damn time.

📖 Read Chapter 44 now:

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