Page 64 of Breaking

"Who was that?" Dani's voice drifted down the hallway.

"Just someone asking for directions," Jenna murmured distractedly, her mind still caught on the sight of Troy standing there, unmoving, looking so unlike himself. She forced her voice to stay even, but her fingers tightened around the doorframe.

Dani seemed satisfied and disappeared back into her room. Only then did Jenna step outside. The street was empty, but the note remained. She bent down, picked it up, and felt her stomach tightenas she realized it was a parking ticket. And scrawled on the back in Troy's sharp handwriting were three simple words:

I am not leaving.

The next day was uneventful-or so she told herself. She dropped Maisie and Dani off at school, picked up a lightbulb from the hardware store, and drove home, deliberately keeping her thoughts off Troy.

Until she saw the house.

Mrs. Humphry's old house-right next door. The hedge between their properties was still there, but beyond it, things had changed. The once-faded exterior had been repainted a crisp white, the windows replaced, the creeping Virginia vines neatly trimmed. The new wooden door was stained a deep chestnut, panelled and polished. It was beautiful.

It was occupied.

As Jenna stood frozen, the front door swung open.

Troy stepped out.

He looked relaxed, almost expectant, as though he had been waiting for this exact moment. Jenna, on the other hand, felt her world tilt.

"What-what are you doing here?" she stammered. "But I thought... What about that busy blonde lady and her husband?"

Troy tilted his head. "Oh, you mean Stell and Roberts? They're the architectural firm I hired. They handled the renovations." He smiled. "She's very bossy. Her husband is terrified of his wife. As I am of mine at the moment."

Jenna blinked. "And you bought this? You're living here?"

He nodded. "I was planning to buy any house that came up in this neighbourhood. This one was just available first."

Her heart pounded. "So, you're going to live here? Next door?"

"Yes."

"But your job-"

Troy shrugged. "Being the boss has perks."

Jenna crossed her arms, stepping back. "Why are you here, Troy?"

"I asked you to give me twenty weeks. You said you needed to be here for the children." His gaze was steady. "So, I moved to be here with you."

She exhaled sharply. "Why?"

His expression flickered-something unreadable, something careful. "I think we have a lot of unfinished business."

Jenna's throat tightened. "We don't. We have a history. And I'm still so-so angry. Why did you wait this long? Why now?"

Troy was silent for a moment, as though considering the weight of his words before saying them. He seemed to be mapping out the right response, as he always did, as if planning his strategy in his head.

Finally, he exhaled, tilting his head slightly, eyes fixed on the horizon. "Do you want to come inside? See the house?"

Jenna hesitated. "Why?"

A ghost of a smile. "Because I get the feeling the whole neighbourhood likes to know everyone's business. Mr. Walters has already suggested setting me up with his niece, and Mrs. Jason showed up with a pie and an interrogation. She had a lot of questions."

Jenna snorted before she could stop herself. "Nosy, as always."

"Very." His lips twitched. "So? Are you coming in?"