I woke up seven years in the future. And apparently, I was married to Jeff Joab—the campus king who’d always despised me. Worse, he was completely obsessed with me. So, the moment I snapped back to my own time, I shot my shot and confessed my feelings to him. But the younger Jeff just stared coldly at the fresh hickey on my neck. "You have a boyfriend," he said, his voice dripping with ice. "So stop messing with me." I couldn't find the words to explain. As I turned to leave, humiliated, he grabbed my wrist, his composure shattering. "Isn't this what you want? For me to be your dirty little secret?" His voice was a broken whisper. "Just… coax me a little more. I'll say yes." 1 I’d eaten way too much for dinner. Sprawled out on my bed, I was scrolling through my phone when my eyelids grew heavy, and I drifted off. When I opened them again, I was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. My mind went blank. But that wasn't the scariest part. As I scrambled out of bed to survey my surroundings, my eyes landed on a massive wedding portrait hanging on the wall. The couple in the photo was me… and Jeff Joab. I was in a pristine white gown, beaming, my arm linked intimately with his. Jeff, devastatingly handsome in a black tuxedo, was looking down at me with an expression of pure, unadulterated tenderness. If I ignored the fact that we were sworn enemies, I might have actually cooed at how perfect we looked together. Right now, though, my only thought was that the mushrooms I'd had for dinner must have been hallucinogenic. I grabbed my phone to dial 911, but the date on the lock screen stopped me cold. It wasn't just a different day. It was seven years in the future. While I was still reeling from the shock, the bedroom door swung open and Jeff walked in. He looked different. The boyish edge was gone, replaced by the quiet confidence of a man. He wore a crisp white dress shirt that accentuated his tall, lean frame. His whole aura was calmer, more grounded than I remembered from college. Dare I say it? He had a serious… husband vibe. He noticed me staring, and the cool lines of his face instantly softened. He loosened his tie as he crossed the room in a few long strides and wrapped his arms around me. Before I could even process what was happening, his arms were securely around my waist, and he was nuzzling into my neck, his voice a playful, husky murmur. "Hey, baby. Sorry I'm late. Miss me?" He didn't wait for an answer, just continued in a soft, whimpering tone. "God, I missed you so much. I couldn't even focus on my damn paperwork, just thinking about you." Holy crap. Was this the same cold, arrogant campus king I knew? I blinked, pushing him away gently, the sudden intimacy too much to handle. His handsome face immediately crumpled. A shimmer of moisture glossed over his beautiful eyes as his brow furrowed in disbelief. "Sienna… you just pushed me away." His voice cracked. "Don't you love me anymore? Tell me! Is there another man?" Stunned by his wounded expression, I awkwardly reached for him again, trying to pull him back into a hug. But Jeff just leaned into my touch, rubbing his cheek against my palm like an affectionate cat, his expression impossibly endearing. My heart melted for a split second. Then I heard him press his advantage. "I knew it. My baby still loves me." His voice dropped to a seductive whisper. "Wanna take a shower together?" His eyes were locked on mine as his fingers went to the buttons of his shirt, slowly undoing them one by one. I whipped my head away, my cheeks on fire. I mean, I could tell he had an incredible body, but I wasn't that easily swayed by a pretty face. Not until I figured out what the hell was going on. I had to stay rational. Besides, this was my arch-rival. How could I possibly be in a relationship—a scandalous relationship—with him? But Jeff was like a siren, wrapping himself around me again. He placed a soft kiss on my forehead, his voice a low, magnetic rumble. "Didn't you say you wanted to see me in the collar and cat ears?" He leaned in closer. "I already bought the props. You're not going to bail on me now, are you, baby…?" What the hell? My mind went straight to the gutter. All I could see was a vision of a narrow waist and a toned chest, overlaid with an image of him in cat ears. I was trapped. Jeff continued his assault, murmuring things that made my heart race and my face burn. I fought an internal war for a whole second before finally surrendering. Honestly, what excuse could I possibly give? According to this timeline, we were already married. It wasn't like I could say no, right? It definitely wasn't because I was dying to see it. Definitely not. With that thought, I took control, turning the tables by gently biting his lower lip. His eyes darkened with desire, and in one fluid motion, he swept me into his arms and carried me into the bathroom. 2 The next morning, Jeff was already gone when I woke up. I yawned, dragging myself to the bathroom. Staring at my familiar face in the mirror, my mind drifted again. What was the real situation here? From the scattered bits of information on my phone, I pieced together that I was currently unemployed, while Jeff was the CEO of a company. It seemed we were in an arranged marriage, having tied the knot just a month ago. But if I was here, seven years in the future… what happened to my college-aged self? Did she just… vanish? My head swimming with questions, I finished breakfast and decided to go out and explore. But the moment I opened the front door of the villa, I wasn't outside. I was standing back inside my old apartment, facing my own closed bedroom door. Huh? Did I just… travel back? Thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me, I opened the bedroom door again. And there it was—the luxurious villa from the future. After testing it seven or eight more times, a sharp, incredulous shout escaped my lips. "Holy crap!" It was confirmed. My plain, unassuming bedroom door was a gateway between two timelines. And apparently, time flowed at the same rate in both worlds. Most importantly, I was the only one who knew. Before I could analyze it further, my phone buzzed in my pocket. My best friend, Chloe, had spammed me with messages: "Sienna! Class is about to start, where are you?" "Don't tell me you overslept! Wake up, this professor is a nightmare about attendance!" "Got you a seat. Get your ass over here!" A jolt of panic shot through me, my precarious grades flashing before my eyes. Forgetting everything else, I grabbed my bag and sprinted to campus. I snuck into the lecture hall and slid into the seat Chloe had saved, letting out a sigh of relief. Then I turned my head. And found myself sitting right next to the younger, college-aged Jeff Joab. Chloe, my dear, sweet friend, what have you done? Oblivious, Chloe leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. "See? Great spot, right? Super hidden." She wiggled her eyebrows. "And look, you've got a certified hottie sitting right next to you!" I nodded, my soul slowly leaving my body. The lecture was painfully boring. My mind wandered, and I couldn't stop myself from sneaking glances at Jeff. He was focused on his notes, his head bent low, revealing the elegant line of his nose and his long, dark lashes. An image from last night flashed in my mind—Jeff's face, flushed and damp, his eyes hazy with pleasure. My cheeks instantly grew hot. Just as I was about to look away, he suddenly turned his head. Our eyes met. 3 His pen paused for a fraction of a second before he looked away, his expression completely blank, radiating a cold indifference that pushed everyone away. So cold. Nothing at all like the clingy, affectionate man from last night. I pouted, fidgeting with my pen. How could the same person be so different at two different stages of his life? Just then, my phone screen lit up. I tapped it open and saw a pinned contact—one I didn't remember adding—spamming me with messages. [My Wifey, my baby, are you awake yet?] [I miss you I miss you I miss you.] [The new plant I bought looks so good. What do you think, baby?] [Image.jpg] In the photo, Jeff’s shirt was slightly unbuttoned, revealing his sharp collarbones and a few faint, pink marks dotting his skin. He claimed he was showing me the plant, but it was relegated to a tiny corner of the frame. The main event was Jeff himself. He had his head tilted slightly, his captivating eyes staring into the camera, his perfect profile glowing in the sunlight. I was mesmerized. Part of me was trying to figure out how the twenty-seven-year-old Jeff could be messaging me across time and space, while the other part was marveling at how shameless he was, sending me thirst traps first thing in the morning. I typed back: [Mind your image. The internet has rules, you know.] He replied instantly. [Was the plant not pretty enough? Let me take another one.] The new photo was even more scandalous. Jeff had lifted the hem of his shirt, his expression a perfect mask of innocence as he gazed at the camera. The plant was still a tiny green speck in the corner. His smooth, defined abs and the sharp lines of his waist, however, were on full display. Just as I was about to zoom in for a closer inspection, the psychology professor called my name. Staring at the four multiple-choice options on the projector screen, I scratched my head, completely lost. I was about to guess randomly when a cool, low voice beside me said, "It's A." I gave the answer, and it was correct. As I sat down, I couldn't help but glance at Jeff. That was… weird. He actually helped me. But then I saw his gaze flicker down to my phone, where the picture of his future self's abs was still on full display. I slammed the screen off. Jeff looked away. A strange feeling washed over me as it dawned on me. Right now, in this timeline, the twenty-year-old Jeff and I had nothing to do with each other. So why… Why did I feel so guilty, like I was cheating on him right under his nose? Why on earth did I feel like that? 4 The morning classes finally ended. Sweltering in the heat, I went back to my dorm, changed into a low-cut sundress, and took a much-needed nap. Later that afternoon, as I was passing a boba shop, I spotted Jeff’s tall, slender figure behind the counter. Oh, right. His persona on campus was the "poor but brilliant" scholar. He was probably working a part-time job. A mischievous idea sparked in my mind. I walked in and ordered a milk tea. Jeff acted like he didn't even know me, his face a cold, emotionless mask as he took my order. But when I got my drink, it was packed to the brim with toppings. I found a table and sat down, chewing on my straw and getting lost in thought. My feud with Jeff started in our last year of high school. I was the rebellious new transfer student. My homeroom teacher, knowing my grades were terrible, assigned Jeff—the top student in our year—to be my desk mate. He was tasked with keeping me in line. And he took that job very seriously. If I didn't do my homework, he'd just stare at me silently for the entire study hall until I cracked under the pressure. When I skipped class to go to the internet cafe, he’d take the day off just to hunt me down, humiliating me in front of all my slacker friends. When I started dating a guy from the class next door, Jeff had daily "talks" with him until the poor guy couldn't take it anymore and broke up with me. He was stricter than my own father. And I couldn't complain to anyone, because my parents and the teacher were thrilled. Jeff's methods were exactly what they wanted. Of course, they worked. In that one year, I shot up from the bottom of the class rankings to the top ten and got into the same university as him. I thought I’d finally be free, but he chose the same school and the same major. We even ended up in the same class. Thank god we were adults now. He had no right to control me like he did in high school. …But then again, I was legally an adult in my senior year, too. Was his strictness back then really just about his sense of duty as the class president? A slow realization began to dawn on me. I pulled out my phone and sent a message to the future Jeff. [Hubby, you there? I have a question for you.] He replied almost instantly. [I'm here, baby. Ask away! I'll tell you anything!] I hesitated before typing out the words. [When did you start liking me?] For the first time, he went silent. The "typing…" indicator flickered for what felt like an eternity. Finally, a single word appeared. High school. 5 My eyes went wide. Another message followed, this time a voice note. I pressed play, and Jeff’s voice, deep but tinged with shyness, filled my ear. [That first day of senior year, when you were introducing yourself on the podium. You glanced over at my corner of the room and smiled. It was so bright.] [My heart skipped a beat. It wasn't until later that I realized… that's what it felt like to fall for someone.] I chewed on a tapioca pearl, realizing I had zero memory of that moment. Yet, a strange sense of satisfaction bloomed in my chest. All this time, I thought we mutually disliked each other. But to hear from the man himself that he'd been secretly in love with me for years… A wicked idea began to form. I smirked and typed another question. [Hey hubby, if I confessed to your twenty-year-old self, do you think he'd say yes?] Jeff’s reply was instantaneous. [Of course he would, baby.] [You know that no matter what age I am, I could never say no to you.] Damn. He was making me blush. Twenty-seven-year-old Jeff was way too smooth; I felt like putty in his hands. I had to even the score. I needed to go and tease the younger version of him to feel better about myself. It wasn't because I had a mischievous streak or anything. Definitely not. 6 I waited in the boba shop until Jeff's shift was over. The moment he stepped outside, I intercepted him. "Jeff," I said in a low voice, "come with me for a second. I need to talk to you." I expected him to agree immediately. Instead, he glanced down at me, and the air around him dropped ten degrees. "I'm busy," he said, his voice flat. Huh? I was floored. What happened to "secretly in love with me" and "could never say no"? Not ready to give up, I instinctively tugged on the hem of his shirt. "What I have to say is really important," I coaxed. "Are you sure you don't want to hear it?" He stopped walking. After clearing my throat, I stood on my tiptoes and whispered sweetly in his ear. "Jeff Joab, I like you." I thought he would be so flustered he'd short-circuit. Instead, he took a sharp breath, his dark eyes boring into mine. "Sienna," he ground out, his voice laced with anger, "are you this casual with everyone?" Following his gaze, I realized something was wrong. I looked down and saw it—a prominent, angry-red hickey on my neck. Crap. I forgot to reapply my concealer. Jeff’s lips thinned into a hard line. "You already have a boyfriend. So stop messing with me." My mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. What was I supposed to say? Jeff, calm down, that was actually made by the future you. We just got a little too carried away last night, and now the present you has the wrong idea. Yeah, that would get me committed. Utterly defeated, I turned to walk away. But he grabbed my wrist, his expression completely shattered. "Isn't this what you want? For me to be your dirty little secret?" His voice dropped to a broken whisper. "Just coax me a little more, and I'll say yes." Wha… what? My brain went blank. Was he… was he willing to be the other man? But I wasn't actually cheating on anyone! "You've got it all wrong," I stammered. "I don't have a boyfriend right now." Just then, my phone screen lit up with a series of notifications. [Baby, I got us a reservation at that steakhouse you love.] [Want to go out for dinner tonight?] Jeff saw them all. He also saw the contact name I had saved for the sender: My Super Clingy, Super Hot Husband. The light in his eyes instantly faded. Well, shit. Now there was no explaining my way out of this one.
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