Slipping Away

The Seduction

Episode 5

Jesli closed the bedroom door behind her, pressing her back against it as she let out a slow breath. Her heart was heavy, her mind exhausted. She had wanted George to fight for her, but now that he finally seemed to notice, she wasn’t sure if it mattered anymore.

She wasn’t sure if they mattered anymore.

She moved to the vanity, unclasping her earrings and placing them down with a soft clink. Her reflection stared back at her—flushed cheeks, tired eyes, lips slightly parted as if she had just woken from a dream.

Or a nightmare.

The way Damon had looked at her tonight—like she was something rare, something precious—it had ignited a part of her she had forgotten existed.

But it wasn’t just Damon.

It was the way she felt when she was around him. Desired. Seen. Wanted.

A quiet knock at the door made her inhale sharply.

George.

Jesli hesitated before answering. When she opened the door, he stood there, his tie loosened, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, his expression unreadable.

“We need to talk,” he said.

Jesli stepped aside, allowing him in. The air between them was thick with unspoken words.

He ran a hand through his hair, then exhaled. “I know I’ve been distant.”

Jesli crossed her arms. “That’s an understatement.”

His jaw clenched. “I thought I was doing what I was supposed to—working hard, providing for us. I thought that was enough.”

Jesli let out a soft, bitter laugh. “Enough? George, when was the last time you really looked at me? When was the last time you touched me without it feeling like an obligation?”

He stared at her, something raw flickering in his eyes. “You think I don’t want you?”

Jesli swallowed hard. “I know you don’t show it.”

Silence.

Then, George stepped closer. His fingers brushed against her arm, hesitant, as if testing the space between them. Jesli shivered at the contact, but she didn’t move.

“I do want you,” he murmured, his voice lower, rougher. “I always have.”

Jesli’s breath caught. The way he was looking at her now—it was different. Urgent. Real.

For a moment, she wanted to believe it. Wanted to fall into his arms, let him remind her why she had loved him all these years.

But then she remembered the months of loneliness. The countless nights of waiting, wondering if she was just another fixture in his life, like the house they shared, the dinner she made, the routine they followed.

Jesli gently pulled away. “It shouldn’t take another man’s interest for you to remember that.”

George’s eyes darkened. “Is that what this is about? Him?”

Jesli shook her head. “This is about me. About what I need. And I don’t think you can give it to me anymore.”

George’s breath hitched, as if her words had struck something deep. For the first time, he looked like he was truly afraid.

Afraid of losing her.

Jesli turned away, her voice barely above a whisper. “I think we need some time apart.”

The words hung in the air like a final note of a tragic song.

And this time, George didn’t stop her as she walked away.

To Be Continued…

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