BIT

Chapter 28

Rebecca glanced at Nicholas, who was now sound asleep, his breathing steady. She slipped out of the room quietly, closing the door behind her. Her heart pounded as she made her way to the elevator, the weight of Harvey’s message heavy in her mind.

As the elevator descended, her thoughts raced. Why was Harvey here? What could he possibly want?

The doors opened to the lobby, and she walked out, scanning the area until she saw Harvey’s car parked across the street. She crossed over and saw him sitting in the driver’s seat, looking out at her with a mix of relief and anxiety.

Rebecca opened the passenger door and slipped inside, closing it behind her. “What are you doing here, Harvey?” she asked, her voice a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.

Harvey looked at her closely, “I can’t get you out of my mind,” he answered without blinking. Rebecca felt her cheeks flush red. Her heart was beating so fast that it was deafening her ears. She felt like a high school student who fell in love for the first time.

“Oh, come on! We both know you’re just making it up! Just go straight to the point, What do you want?” Rebecca said, pretending not to be affected by Harvey’s words. “You really want to know what I want?” Harvey asked in his deep, soothing voice.

Rebecca turned her head, and suddenly Harvey brought his face closer until they were only five inches apart. Rebecca swallowed hard. She could feel Harvey’s warm breath and was sure Harvey could hear her heartbeat.

“What are you doing?” she whispered. She knew she should have pushed him away, but her body betrayed her.

Harvey didn’t answer, but his face got closer until their lips touched. “My body is used to your presence,” he whispered, then kissed Rebecca gently.

Three seconds later, the rain fell heavily, as if it were deliberately trapping the two of them in the car. Rebecca tried to fight the urge to kiss back, but her body rejected the idea. She put both hands on Harvey’s face instead and kissed him passionately.

For a moment, the world outside the car ceased to exist. The rain drummed on the roof, creating a cocoon around them and sealing them off from everything and everyone. Time seemed to stop as their kiss deepened, a mixture of longing and

Wed, Aug 14

desperation fueling the intensity.

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Rebecca pulled back slightly, her breathing ragged. “This isn’t right, Harvey,” she said, her voice shaky. “You know it can’t be.”

“I know, but I can’t help what I feel. Every time I see you and every time I think about you, it’s like I’m drawn to you. I don’t know what happened to me, but I felt empty after we divorced,” said Harvey earnestly.

Rebecca felt her stomach churn. She felt flattered and couldn’t believe what had just come out of her ex–husband’s mouth. She took a deep breath, trying to think clearly.

“I don’t understand, Harvey. If you love Alicia so much, why do you have time to think about me? Have you forgotten? For fuckin‘ three years, I tried to make you fall in love with me, but what did I get? Now, when I’m trying to put my life back together, how could you appear and say that you can’t forget me? You are such a selfish bastard!”

Harvey looked down, his arrogance fading instantly.

“I know, I just-”

When he turned to Rebecca, their lips accidentally touched. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and suddenly an agreement seemed to be made without a sound.

Rebecca didn’t resist when Harvey kissed her once again, and when his hands moved to open her dress, she knew that night would be a turning point in their relationship.

Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions as Harvey’s hands roamed over her. The familiarity of his touch, the electricity between them, it was all too much to resist. She tried to remember why this was wrong and why she should stop, but the reasons seemed to slip away with every touch of his lips on her skin.”

The rain continued to pour outside, masking their movements within the car. It felt like they were in a world of their own, a world where nothing else mattered but the two of them. As Harvey’s lips traveled down her neck, Rebecca let out a soft moan, her hands gripping his shoulders.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the car, followed by a clap of thunder that shook them both. It was like a wake–up call, pulling Rebecca back to reality. She pushed Harvey away, her breath coming in short gasps.

We can’t do this,” she said, her voice trembling. “This isn’t right!”

“Harvey, stop We can’t do this,” she

11:34 Wed, Aug 14 ti.

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Harvey’s face fell, and he pulled back, his eyes filled with regret. “I know, Becky. I know. But I just… I miss you. I miss us.”

Rebecca closed her eyes, trying to steady herself. “We can’t go back to the way things. were. I’m not a robot! All I want is your love, not just your body! I will not let you hurt me one more time.”

Harvey sighed, looking defeated. “Becky, I just… I can’t explain it to you right now; it’s complicated, I-”

Rebecca reached out, taking his hand. “I don’t know what’s going on inside your head, but this… this can’t happen again, unless-”

“Unless what?”

“Unless you can choose between me and Alicia,” Rebecca said firmly.

Harvey took a deep breath, a sad smile playing on his lips. “It’s not that simple, Becky.”

Rebecca frowned. “Why not? She is evil, Harvey! I swear to God she had purposely pushed me off the top of the stairs that day and hidden the fact about my miscarriage! She’s working with Doctor Theo! You should know that!”

Harvey massaged his head. “We’ve discussed this before. I know you hate Alicia, but she’s a loving person; she couldn’t possibly do all that.”

“Oh, really? So you believe that I deliberately harmed myself just to make you hate her? Does that sound more reasonable?” Rebecca snapped back in anger.

“We’ve talked about this, and it’s clear already, isn’t it? I mean, Lucy’s testimony-

“Lucy was being pressured by Alicia all this time! She sent me an Email and said she was under pressure when she gave the testimony that day!” Rebecca shouted in despair.

Harvey turned around in surprise. “What? Did that email come from Lucy’s valid email address?” he asked tensely.

Rebecca took a deep breath. “Of course not; she didn’t want Alicia to know about it so she used a fake email address but the point is—”

“The point is, you can’t prove what you said. Becky, I’ve known Alicia since she was five years old, and I know very well how she is. I’m sorry if she ruined our marriage, but your accusation was too much,” said Harvey looking away.

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Rebecca felt disappointment gnaw at her chest. She regretted letting herself fall under Harvey’s charm once again. “Okay, you’ve made your decision. So don’t ever see me again.”

“Becky…”

“Don’t!” Becky snapped without turning around.

She didn’t even look at Harvey’s face as she exited his car. She slammed the car door hard and walked towards Nicholas‘ apartment with tears welling in her eyes. She promised it would be the last time she talked to Harvey–never again. However, she was unaware that someone was observing her every move from a distance…