From the start (Joel Miller x Reader) (EDITED)

Chapter 17

You didn't move for a moment. Just stood there.

Was this a second chance? A terrible idea wrapped in a gorgeous smile? Or something else entirely?

"I know I've got no right to ask for anything," he murmured, "but I missed you every damn day."

His words landed somewhere between a balm and a burn. You blinked back a wave of emotion. He looked older than the last time you'd seen him—like someone who hadn't just gone through a divorce, but a reckoning. You'd been having your own, silently, while he was nowhere to be found.

You withdrew your hand gently, needing space more than comfort.

"Joel," you began, your voice steadier than you felt, "this isn't just about missing me. You disappeared. You ghosted me. I sat with that silence every night. I talked myself out of texting you at least a hundred times."

He looked down, guilty. "I was afraid I'd ruin whatever we had if I came back before I had it all figured out."

You scoffed softly. "You kind of ruined it by not coming back at all."

Oof. That one stung. Even for you.

Joel nodded, as if he'd been waiting for that line.

"I deserved that," he said.

Suddenly needing motion, you walked to the small kitchen area to refill your mug just to feel like you were doing something. "You know, I used to imagine what I'd say if you ever showed up again. In half those fantasies I slammed the door in your face."

He cracked a faint smile. "And in the other half?"

You gave him a dry look over your shoulder. "Depends on how much wine I'd had."

He let out a quiet laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fair."

You returned to the couch with your mug clutched between your hands like a shield. "So what now? You're technically single, emotionally... mangled, and you think chocolates and puppy-dog eyes are gonna do the trick?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Was worth a shot."

You rolled your eyes but didn't hide your smile this time. "I'm serious, Joel."

He took a deep breath, eyes darkening. ""It's been a mess, the divorce, Linda's accusations... I didn't know what to do."

You blinked, trying to process the sudden weight behind his absence. "Linda's... accusations?"

Joel nodded. "After the divorce started, she went after me hard. She accused me of cheating—with you—and said I was using our relationship to get money from her. It's been hell. She dragged me through every messy detail in court. It made things worse, and honestly, I didn't know how to fight back without hurting you again."

Your heart softened, but the hurt was still there. "I thought you were separated when... when things happened between us."

"We were," he admitted. "But she made everything complicated, turning friends and family against me. I was lost. And I thought disappearing was easier—for both of us."

You bit your lip, absorbing his confession. "You should've talked to me."

"I know." His voice cracked. "I was scared. But I'm here now."

"It's not just about Linda, Joel. I needed you, and you weren't there," you express, your voice tinged with disappointment.

"I get it. I want to make things right. I care about you," Joel reassures you, his tone earnest.