Divorce With Benefits: A Second Chance At Love
Chapter 103: A New Beginning

Chapter 103: A New Beginning

Jerica endured Harold’s stories longer than she expected. His loud laughter and exaggerated hand gestures painted vivid, if not entirely believable, pictures of his past escapades. But her attention drifted. Every now and then, her gaze would wander back to Jared, who seemed perfectly at ease in his element, chatting animatedly with the group. The firelight flickered across his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw and the curve of his lips.

Jerica sighed and finally decided she’d had enough. Rising from her seat, she slipped away from the group, making her way toward Lila’s tent. The chill of the night seeped through her thin jacket, and as she walked, she glanced around for Jared. Where was he? His absence nagged at her, though she’d never admit it.

Reaching his tent, she peeked inside, expecting to find him sprawled out, his shirt half-buttoned as usual. But the tent was empty, eerily neat, as if he hadn’t been there at all.

Her eyes wandered to Nick’s tent, which stood out like a mansion among shacks. It wasn’t obnoxiously large, but enough to make everyone else’s accommodations look laughably insufficient. There was movement inside, the faint rustle of fabric and the silhouette of someone shifting.

Jerica took a step back, not wanting to disturb Nick. Despite his polished manners and polite exchanges when Jared was around, she could feel his thinly veiled discomfort when she was alone with him. She had no intention of testing his patience tonight.

She shook her head, muttering to herself about Nick’s penchant for showing off. The guy had spent the entire evening bragging about his bespoke tent, dropping hints about his family’s connections to luxury camping gear. She had no doubt that, if Nick ever acknowledged her presence tonight, it would be to extol the virtues of his tent’s "artisanal stitching."

Just as she was about to pass by, a sharp hiss made her pause. Her heart jumped. Who would dare? It couldn’t be Nick.

Curiosity tugged at her as she inched closer, craning her neck to peer around the side of the tent. A hand, defined and strong, slipped out first, and then a face followed—chiseled, smirking, and unmistakably Jared’s.

His grin widened as he leaned toward her, his voice dropping into a tone dripping with mock sultriness. "If you come inside, I’ll come inside you..." he said, his delivery so exaggerated it reminded her of an overconfident cartoon character.

Jerica froze for a split second, her jaw dropping. The audacity! Her glare sharpened, and without dignifying his absurdity with a response, she turned on her heel and stalked toward Lila’s tent.

Behind her, she heard Jared chuckle, the deep sound reverberating through the quiet night.

She paused outside Lila’s tent, casting one last glance back at the campfire. Lila was still perched on her log, her gaze locked on Harold as though he were the most fascinating man in the world. The way her eyes shimmered in the firelight made the tension between them almost tangible. Jerica shook her head. Lila was fooling no one.

Slipping into the tent, Jerica curled up in her blanket, hoping for the warmth to lull her to sleep. But as she closed her eyes, the last image that surfaced wasn’t the glowing campfire or Lila’s besotted stare—it was Jared’s cocky grin, his infuriating words replaying in her mind.

Her cheeks burned at the memory. He had never spoken to her like that, not even in the heady, impulsive days of their early marriage. What had gotten into him?

And what had he meant by it? She frowned, her thoughts spiraling. Did he really mean that? He had always been firm about not wanting kids. Was he trying to tell her he’d changed his mind? Or was it just a joke, the kind he delivered with that maddening smirk, fully aware it would keep her awake, turning his words over in her head?

Her thoughts raced, darting between irritation, confusion, and an unbidden warmth that she didn’t quite know what to do with. The more she dwelled on it, the more impossible it became to relax.

She hugged the blanket tighter and sighed. Jared had a way of occupying her thoughts, even when she wanted nothing more than to escape them. Sleep, it seemed, would remain as elusive as ever.

-----

The night deepened, and the campfire flickered lower, its embers glowing faintly in the cool, mist-laden air. Most of the group had retreated to their tents, their laughter and chatter replaced by the quiet hum of the forest. Yet Harold and Lila remained by the fire, the space between them charged with a quiet intimacy that neither acknowledged outright but both felt deeply.

Harold stretched his legs, leaning back on his hands, his gaze flicking toward Lila. She was unwrapping a packet of chips, her movements unhurried but deliberate, as if the simplest task deserved her full attention. The firelight danced across her face, illuminating the soft curve of her cheek, the delicate dip of her dimple when she smiled.

"You’ve lived a pretty wild life, Mr. Braddock," Lila said, her voice low but warm. There was a playful lilt to her words, but her eyes held a deeper curiosity.

"Wild, huh?" Harold chuckled, shaking his head. "That’s one way to put it. Though I’m starting to think it wasn’t wild enough."

Her brows arched, and she tilted her head, offering him the packet of chips. He took one, their fingers brushing briefly, and Harold couldn’t help but notice the way her lips curved slightly, like she was aware of the tension between them and choosing not to acknowledge it.

"You don’t strike me as the settling-down type," Lila said after a pause, her voice quieter now.

Harold leaned closer, his elbows resting on his knees. "And what type do you think I am, Lila?"

Her eyes met his, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to fade. She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she smiled—soft, shy, but somehow inviting.

He could feel his heart beating a little faster. The playful banter they’d shared all evening had shifted, the atmosphere growing heavier, more charged. Her scent—light and floral, with a hint of something sweet—seemed to fill the air around him.

"Maybe the kind who surprises people," she said finally, her voice so quiet it was almost a whisper.

Harold’s lips curved into a slow grin. "Is that so?"

Lila looked away, but not before he caught the faint blush rising to her cheeks. The moment stretched between them, filled with an unspoken understanding. Harold reached for her hand without thinking, his fingers brushing hers.

"Come on," he said softly, standing and offering her his hand.

She hesitated for only a second before slipping her hand into his. His grip was firm yet gentle, and as he pulled her to her feet, she stumbled slightly, landing closer to him than she’d intended. Their faces were inches apart, and for a moment, neither of them moved.

"Harold..." she began, her voice barely audible.

But Harold didn’t let her finish. He closed the gap between them, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that was both tentative and searing. Lila’s breath hitched, and then she melted into him, her hands finding their way to his shoulders as his arms wrapped around her waist.

The kiss deepened, their initial hesitance giving way to a hunger that neither of them had anticipated. Harold broke away just long enough to rest his forehead against hers, his breathing heavy.

"We should..." Lila began, but she couldn’t seem to finish her sentence.

"Yeah," Harold murmured, though neither of them moved.

Finally, he pulled back just enough to lift her into his arms. Lila let out a small gasp, but her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck.

"Harold, what are you doing?" she asked, though there was no real protest in her voice.

"Making sure you’re comfortable," he replied with a grin, carrying her toward his tent.

The mist clung to the ground as he pushed open the flap of his tent, stepping inside with her still in his arms. The small space felt warm, intimate, and as he set her down gently, their eyes met again.

This time, there were no words, only actions. The night grew quieter still, the world outside fading into nothingness as they gave in to the moment, their connection consuming them entirely.

-----

The night was still, with only the distant hum of crickets and the faint crackle of dying embers breaking the silence. Jerica stared at the dark ceiling of her tent, her arms hugging her knees tightly. Sleep refused to come, no matter how much she willed her restless mind to quiet down. The more she tried, the more awake she felt.

Her thoughts drifted to Lila, who hadn’t returned yet. Jerica’s worry grew as the minutes stretched into hours. She finally unzipped the tent and peeked outside. The camp was shrouded in shadows, the fire reduced to a faint glow. The spot where Lila had been sitting was empty, and Harold was nowhere to be seen either.

Jerica sighed, a mix of frustration and unease knotting her stomach. Hugging her knees tighter, she regretted drinking so much water earlier. The pressure was relentless now, making it impossible to ignore.

"I can’t take it anymore," she muttered under her breath.

Determined, she slipped out of her tent and padded softly across the dewy grass toward Nick’s larger tent, where she’d last seen Jared. f