Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right

Chapter 24

When Jace called me again, I was at the Cloudscape Monastery listening to a sermon..

“Rea, it’s almost eleven. Why aren’t you here yet?” Jace sounded urgent.

“I’m almost there, just wait a little longer.” I was doing this on purpose.

I’d loved him for a decade, and lost track of how many times I’d waited on him.

Today, though, I made him wait on me. It was a small payback for a decade of love and youth. “Hurry up, don’t miss the time my mentor recommended,” Jace urged me once more.

At that moment, I was sitting in front of Abbot Levinsky, who hadn’t mentioned anything about my marriage. It was clear he didn’t know I was supposed to register with Jace today, let alone any auspicious timing.

I softly hummed in acknowledgment, hung up, and switched off my phone, focusing back on Abbot Levinsky’s sermon.

Jace was a believer ever since he miraculously recovered from a serious illness as a child. Lindey had prayed nonstop at the monastery for three days and nights, and somehow, Jace had pulled through

Since then, Lindey had become an even more devout believer, urging Jace to accept Abbot Levinsky as his spiritual guide.

Naturally, I tagged along with Jace whenever he visited Abbot Levinsky, who personally blessed our relationship. But despite all that, my relationship with

I didn’t leave Cloudscape Monastery until three in the afternoon. My phone stayed off as I headed straight to the clerk’s office.

Jace wasn’t there anymore.

I wasn’t surprised. I didn’t know how long he waited for me, but it couldn’t have been as long as I’d

waited for him in the past.

I parked my car and turned on my phone. Countless messages and missed calls bombarded my screen, most of them from Jace.

There were fifty–three missed calls and seven texts from him:

[Rea, you here? Why’s your phone dead?]

[Rea, it’s time. Hurry up or we’ll miss the best time.]

[Rea, what’s going on?]

[Rea, seriously, hit me back.]

[Rea, 20 mins till the clerk’s office shuts. We won’t be able to get the certificate.]

[Rea, are you messing with me?]

[Rea, can’t believe you’re pulling this…]

+15 BONUS

Seeing those texts, I could practically hear Jace going from panicked to pissed off, and finally just plain frustrated.

The last message was sent at 11:55. His patience had worn thin, barely lasting an hour.

Staring at the fifty–three missed calls, I dialed him back.

It rang once before he hung up.

He was clearly furious, angry that I had stood him up and wasn’t picking up his calls:

I didn’t call again, but I responded to Lena, who had also been trying to reach me. Jace had reached out to her while searching for me.

Instead of texting back, I sent her a voice message. “Don’t worry, Lena. I’m okay. I just needed some time to pray.”

Lena’s video call came through right away, and she asked, “What’s going on?”

I hesitated, biting my lip. “It’s kind of a long story.”

Lena said, “Then make it short.”

I smiled and was ready to talk when Jace, who had just hung up on me, rang back.

I wasn’t going to respond. I was entirely over it. In the past, I would have dropped everything for his calls, but not anymore.

Lena heard my phone ring and asked, “Is that Jace?”

“Yeah.”

“Answer it. He’s been freaking out trying to find you.”

‘Huh? Would he ever lose his mind for me?‘ I thought.

P

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