All Chapters of One Careless Night : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Alex deserved honesty, and I owed it to him to be upfront about my feelings.“You said you love me too at your party last night. Just checking you didn't just say it back because I did." He continued.“Alex,” I began, my voice shaky, “I care about you, I really do."But…things are complicated right now. There’s a lot going on in my head, and I’m not sure where I stand. I said the rest in my head. I couldn't muster up courage to voice it out. I just couldn't hurt Alex like that. Alex's face lit up. “I care a lot about you too." he scooted closer to me, "but I can see that something’s been weighing on you. I just want you to know that whatever it is, I’m here for you. You know you can tell me anything.”His words only made the guilt worse. Here was this amazing guy, offering me his support, and all I could think about was Jack. I wanted to tell Alex every

We walked into his office, the tension between us almost suffocating. As soon as the door closed behind us, I turned to face him, ready to confront the truth. “What’s happening between us, Jack?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “What are we doing?” He didn’t answer right away, his gaze fixed on the floor. When he finally looked up, there was a sadness in his eyes that I hadn’t seen before. “I don’t know, Sophia,” he admitted, his voice raw. “I don’t know what this is, but it’s tearing me apart.” “Me too,” I whispered, feeling the tears welling up in my eyes. “I can’t keep pretending that everything’s okay, because it’s not. And now… now it’s affecting my mom, Jack. She thinks she’s losing you.” Jack winced, the pain in his expression cutting me to the core. “I never wanted to hurt her. Or you. But I can’t keep going on like this, Sophia. It’s driving me insane.” “Then what do we do?” I asked, my voice cracking. “Because

Finally, Jack’s eyes flicked up, and he noticed me standing there. His expression shifted from relaxed to tense in an instant, and he pulled his arm away from my mother as if he’d been caught doing something wrong. My mother followed his gaze and turned to look at me, a warm smile on her face.“Hey, sweetheart,” she said, her voice bright. “How was school?”I forced a smile, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest. “It was fine,” I replied, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears.Jack’s eyes lingered on me for a moment, his expression unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he felt guilty, sad, or something else entirely, but I couldn’t bear to look at him for too long. I quickly shifted my gaze to my mother, focusing on her instead.“I’m just going to head up to my room,” I said, already turning to leave before they could respond.“Oh, okay,” my mother said, a hint of concern in her voice. “If you need anything, just let us know.”“Thanks,”

Alex's eyes searched Rachel's face, his expression a mix of surprise, confusion, and desire. He seemed to be struggling with his emotions, unsure of how to process what was happening. Rachel's heart pounded as she waited for his response, her mind racing with possibilities. She could feel the tension between them building, the air thick with unspoken words.Finally, Alex spoke, his voice low and husky. "Rachel, I...I don't know what to say."Rachel's lips curled into a gentle smile, encouraging him to open up. "You don't have to say anything, Alex. Just kiss me again." Alex's eyes locked onto hers, and he leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a soft, gentle kiss. Rachel's heart soared as she felt his hesitation melt away, replaced by a growing passion.As they deepened the kiss, Rachel knew she had made the right decision. She was ready to take a chance on Alex, to see where this newfound connection might lead. But as they pulled apart, gasping for air, Rachel's thoughts turned

As we finished our coffee and got up to leave the café, I found myself glancing at my phone, half-expecting a message from Jack even though I knew it wouldn’t come. I shook my head, frustrated with myself for even thinking about him. I was here with Alex, a guy who genuinely cared about me, and yet my mind kept wandering back to the man I knew I couldn’t have.The rest of the day passed in a haze, with Alex doing his best to keep me engaged, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fully be present. Jack’s absence was like a shadow, following me everywhere I went, and I didn’t know how to make it disappear.By the time we headed back home, I was exhausted—not just physically, but emotionally. I had spent the entire day trying to forget about Jack, trying to focus on Alex, but in the end, I was left feeling more conflicted than ever. The feelings I had for Jack weren’t going away, no matter how much I tried to push them aside, and I didn’t know what to do.As A