Where My Love Could Not Reach

After cleaning up the kitchen, Madison went upstairs, ready to rest.

But when she opened the door to her bedroom, she stopped in her tracks.

Xena was lying on her bed, wearing her pajamas.

Jake sat beside her, gently applying ointment to her arm.

When he saw Madison walk in, he didn’t even flinch. “You’ll sleep in the guest room tonight,” he said flatly.

Madison’s voice was tight. “This is my room.”

Jake replied coldly, “Xena should have the best room. You poured hot broth on her. Giving up the room is the least you can do to make up for it.”

He had already decided she was guilty.

Madison gave a bitter smile. “So her wearing my clothes is part of the apology too?”

Jake’s tone turned impatient. “I bought those pajamas. Why are you making a big deal out of one piece of clothing? You just don’t want her here, do you? You want to drive her out.”

He let out a sharp laugh. “Well, too bad. She’s staying. She’s going to live here, every day.”

Xena tugged at his sleeve. “Don’t be like this.”

Jake’s voice softened immediately. “Don’t worry about it. She needs to be taught a lesson.”

Madison looked at him as he leaned in toward Xena on the bed.

The image stabbed through her like a blade.

But she was so exhausted she didn’t want to say another word.

“Did you hear me, Madison?”

She nodded, her voice dull. “Okay.”

Jake blinked, surprised. “What did you say?”

“I’ll get a few things to change into,” she replied evenly.

She walked into the closet.

Jake followed her in, sounding slightly awkward. “Xena’s a guest. And anyway, you did pour hot broth on her.”

Madison didn’t react. She gave a quiet, neutral “Mm.”

Jake snapped, humiliated and furious. “So now you’re throwing a tantrum? I can’t stand it when you put on that dead look, just waiting for someone to beg you to feel better!”

He stormed out of the closet and went back to the bedroom, where he plopped down on the bed and started chatting loudly with Xena, completely unbothered.

“So, where should we go tomorrow? Want to visit the campus? It’s been five years. I wonder if that tabby cat we used to feed is still around.”

Madison finished packing her clothes and stepped out of the closet. As she walked past the hallway, something caught her eye.

Inside a glass display case sat a pair of sapphire earrings.

Jake had given them to her for her birthday after he broke things off with that live streamer.

At the time, he had made her a solemn promise that he would never hurt her again.

If he ever forgot, she only had to take out those earrings and show him. He swore he would remember and change.

But ever since Xena came back, he had broken that promise over and over again.

She figured if she showed him the earrings now, she would only end up humiliating herself.

Madison picked up the earrings and closed them tightly in her palm.

As she passed by the bedroom, she glanced inside.

Xena was leaning in close, whispering into Jake’s ear, one hand resting on his shoulder.

The two of them looked like they were sharing a deep, intimate kiss.

She ignored the sharp pain in her chest and walked away quietly.

Without a word, she dropped the earrings into the trash and stepped into the guest room.