STAR STRUCK

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Chapter Nine

"Though this isn't exactly the professional way to get my patient to talk," Seline spoke, feeling disappointed she had to use this method to get Jason talking, Jason tilting his head with a mock understanding nod as he smoothed his already perfect eyebrows, "I'll still stick to the deal.she added

Seline exhaled sharply, her shoulders tense. "Fine. The man in the photo is Adams." She paused, swallowing hard. "Adams Jones. My ex."

Silence.

Thick, suffocating silence. Jason cleared his throat after a moment.

"By ex, you mean ex-boyfriend?"

"What else?" she snapped, her voice clipped. "That's what 'ex' means, Mister."

He raised a hand in surrender. "I guess so."

Her eyes narrowed. "Yeah, well, it's my turn now."

"Not so fast, Seline. I have more questions."

Her voice rose sharply. "That wasn't the deal!"

"Relax," Jason said, his calm tone doing little to soothe her. "It's five questions, after all."

Seline crossed her arms, biting back her frustration. "And what's your question?" she asked, barely masking her annoyance.

"How did you two break up?"

The color drained from her face, her expression darkening as she fidgeted in her chair. The question clearly unsettled her, but Jason didn't look away. Why was he so curious about these small details? He couldn't explain it himself.

Seline's lips twitched involuntarily before she sighed, her voice soft. "It's a boring story. Might even put you to sleep. So I'd advise you to take your coffee."

Jason leaned back, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his masked face. "Not a coffee fan, and as you can see…" He gestured toward his nose mask.

She scoffed, shaking her head. "Fine."

"We were together for seven years," she began, her voice trembling slightly. "We met at a friend's birthday party. That's where our story began."

Jason gave a slight nod, encouraging her to continue.

"I got this job and had to relocate to New York. He was supportive—at least, he seemed to be—and said he was fine with it. That's how our long-distance relationship started. We'd talk on the phone, chat, do all the usual things…" She trailed off, her eyes distant.

Jason noticed her sniffle, her fingers brushing against the edge of the table as if holding on to a lifeline.

"You can stop if it's too much," he offered gently. His voice softened, and he reached out, placing a tentative hand over hers. "I'll still answer your questions, Seline."

She drew her hand away, shaking her head as if to steady herself. "No, I'm fine. Just… overwhelmed." Her tone was firm, though her tear-filled eyes betrayed her.

Jason didn't press further, but she spoke again, her voice a faint whisper. "On his birthday, a few days ago, I wanted to surprise him… but I guess he surprised me instead."

Her words broke, and this time, tears fell freely. Jason immediately reached for the box of wipes on the desk, offering her some. She took them with trembling hands, dabbing at her face, though the tears kept flowing.

He murmured something soothing, though she didn't seem to hear him over her quiet sobs. Her shoulders shook as she cried harder, the emotion spilling over uncontrollably.

Jason stood, the chair scraping softly against the floor, and walked around the desk. Sitting on the edge of the table directly in front of her, he placed a firm, reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Seline," he said softly, his voice steady and warm.

Her breathing hitched as she wiped at her face again, his steady presence grounding her. The room fell into silence, save for her quiet sniffles.

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