Tit For Tat Chapter 23
On the last page of the report was the confirmation pop-up from that night.
“Recipients: 327. “
“This action cannot be undone after sending. “
“Continue? “
Below it were his electronic signature and the timestamp.
Adrian’s fingertips trembled slightly.
“I’ve kept this page on my desk for days.”
“I used to think the thing that hurt you most was the words Sloane wrote.”
“Now I realize that what made it all real was my confirmation.”
“If I hadn’t clicked, the email would never have gone out.”
I looked at the time on the page.
9:17 p.m.
In that single second, he could have closed the page.
He could have deleted the photos.
He could have thrown Sloane out of the room.
He could have called to warn me there was a permissions issue with our shared folder.
He had chosen the opposite.
“Evelyn,” he said quietly, “I’ve really lost you, haven’t I?”
I didn’t deny it.
The last flicker of hope died in his eyes.
“And Noah?”
I frowned.
“I’m not here to question you,” he said quickly.
“I just want to know… will you choose him again?”
I looked at him for a long time.
“Adrian, do you still think I have to choose one of you?”
His face went pale.
“Three years ago, one man stayed silent behind a door, and another smashed the glass outside it.”
“Three years later, one comes to explain, and the other comes to regret.”
“But I am not a prize for the two of you to fight over, a way to measure your courage or your loyalty.”
“I’m not going to love Noah again just because he had his reasons.”
“And I’m not going to run back to you just because you’ve finally admitted you hit send.”
The wind swept fallen leaves across the steps.
Adrian stood there, his eyes red.
I took the forensic report from his hand.
He seemed to misunderstand the gesture, a glimmer of hope rising in his eyes.
But right in front of him, I folded the page in half, creasing it directly through his electronic signature.
“I’m giving this report to my lawyer for our files.”
“Not to hold on to you.”
“But so that if anyone ever again tries to say it was just Sloane’s joke, the facts will be on record.”
The color drained completely from his lips.