Piper sat in the back of the café, her fingers absently tracing the grain of the wooden table. The repairs were almost complete, but the place still felt empty — an echo of the warmth it once held. The boarded-up windows had been replaced, and the shelves were being restocked, but Piper felt like she was going through the motions. No matter how much she tried to focus on rebuilding, her thoughts kept circling back to Gabriel, to Jasper, and to everything that had been left unresolved.
It had been a week since Gabriel’s confession, and she still hadn’t made any real decisions. She had told him she needed more time, but what she hadn’t told him was that she didn’t know if time would help. The wounds of his betrayal still lingered, along with the weight of her feelings for Jasper that she had never fully confronted.
The bell above the door jingled softly, and Piper looked up to see Isabel walking into the café, her sharp eyes scanning the space. Piper’s stomach twisted slightly, a reflexive unease settling in. Isabel had always made her feel that way — a constant reminder of how complicated her life had become.
Isabel smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I see the repairs are coming along. The place looks good.”
Piper forced a polite smile, even though she had no desire to engage in small talk with Jasper’s lawyer — or his one-time romantic interest. “Thanks. It’s been slow, but I’m getting there.”
Isabel tilted her head slightly, studying Piper in a way that made her feel exposed. “I heard Gabriel stopped by.”
Piper tensed, though she tried to hide it. Of course, Isabel would know. She always seemed to know what was going on. “He did.”
Isabel’s smile grew a little tighter. “And how did that go? I imagine things are... complicated.”
Piper glanced away, trying to keep her tone neutral. “It was fine. He wanted to apologize.”
“Apologies are one thing,” Isabel said, her voice smooth but laced with something that made Piper’s skin prickle. “But trust — especially after everything that’s happened — is much harder to rebuild.”
Piper’s gaze snapped back to Isabel, a flicker of annoyance rising in her chest. “What are you getting at?”
Isabel shrugged, her expression unreadable. “Just that I know what it’s like to have men in your life who keep secrets. And once those secrets are out, it’s hard to trust them again, no matter how sincere their apologies might be.”
There was an edge to Isabel’s words that Piper couldn’t ignore. It wasn’t just about Gabriel. It was about Jasper too. Isabel had been there, close to him, when everything between Piper and Jasper was falling apart. And even though Isabel had claimed that her feelings for Jasper were strictly professional, Piper had always sensed there was more to it.
“I appreciate the concern,” Piper said coolly, “but I can handle my relationships.”
Isabel’s smile wavered slightly, but she didn’t push further. “Of course. I’m sure you can.”
Before Piper could respond, the bell above the door jingled again, and this time it was Jasper who walked in. His eyes swept the room before landing on Piper, and his face softened slightly when he saw her.
Isabel’s expression shifted the moment she noticed Jasper. “I’ll let you two talk,” she said smoothly, giving Piper a nod before heading toward the door. As she passed Jasper, she gave him a small, almost intimate smile that made Piper’s stomach turn.
Jasper barely acknowledged her as he walked over to where Piper sat. “Mind if I join you?” he asked, his voice gentle.
Piper nodded, her chest tightening as he sat down across from her. She had grown used to his presence lately — he had been helping with the café repairs and offering his support — but every interaction between them felt tinged with unspoken tension.
“How are you holding up?” he asked, his eyes filled with concern.
Piper let out a small sigh, her fingers still tracing the table. “I don’t know, Jasper. It feels like every time I start to make progress, something pulls me back.”
He nodded, his gaze steady on her. “Is it Gabriel?”
Piper hesitated, her heart twisting. “Partly. He told me he loves me, but... I don’t know if I can trust him again. Not after everything that’s happened.”
Jasper’s jaw clenched slightly, but he kept his voice calm. “It’s understandable. He kept a lot of things from you, and it’s not easy to move past that.”
Piper met his gaze, a mix of guilt and longing stirring in her chest. “It’s not just Gabriel, though. I’m still trying to figure out what I feel about... us.”
Jasper’s expression softened, a flicker of sadness in his eyes. “I’ve been thinking about that too.”
Piper bit her lip, her emotions tangling together. “I never stopped caring about you, Jasper. But after everything we’ve been through, I don’t know how to go back to what we had.”
Jasper reached across the table, his hand brushing against hers. “I’m not asking you to go back. I just want you to know that whatever happens, I’ll always be here for you and Lily. I want you to be happy, Piper. Whether that’s with me, Gabriel, or... neither of us.”
His words were so gentle, so understanding, that they nearly broke her. Jasper had always been her safe space, her anchor, and even after all the heartbreak, that hadn’t changed. But she wasn’t sure if she could give him what he wanted — what they had once wanted — because her heart was still so conflicted.
“I don’t know what I want anymore,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jasper’s thumb brushed over her knuckles, his touch warm and familiar. “It’s okay to not know. You don’t have to figure it all out right now.”
Piper felt a lump rise in her throat, and she squeezed his hand, grateful for his patience. “Thank you, Jasper. For everything.”
He gave her a small smile, though there was a hint of sadness behind it. “You don’t have to thank me.”
For a few moments, they sat in silence, their hands resting together on the table. Piper’s mind was swirling with thoughts of Gabriel, of Jasper, and of everything that had happened over the past few months. She had been pulled in so many directions, and now she was standing in the space between them, unsure of which way to go.
“I should get back to work,” she said softly, gently pulling her hand away from his.
Jasper nodded, though she could see the flicker of disappointment in his eyes. “I’ll be around if you need anything.”
As he stood and made his way toward the door, Piper watched him go, her heart aching with the weight of her indecision. Jasper had been her rock for so long, and even now, after everything, he was still standing by her side. But Gabriel... Gabriel had risked everything to protect her, had bared his soul to her in a way that left her breathless.
The problem was, she wasn’t sure if she could trust either of them.
Just as Jasper left the café, Piper’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a text from Gabriel.
Gabriel: Can we talk later? There’s something I need to tell you.
Piper stared at the message, her heart thudding in her chest. She didn’t know what else Gabriel could possibly need to say, but the pit in her stomach told her that whatever it was, it wasn’t going to make things easier.
She typed a quick response, agreeing to meet him, but the sense of dread settled deeper. There were too many unresolved questions, too many emotions pulling her in every direction, and she didn’t know if she could keep carrying the weight of it all.
As she slipped her phone back into her pocket, Piper took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The café was slowly being rebuilt, but her life — the tangled mess of her heart and her relationships — was far from being repaired.
She wasn’t ready to choose. She wasn’t ready to let go.