Soft music greets me as I stroll into the immaculate ballroom, fashioned in an assortment of earthy tones. Several pieces shimmer when the light hits them just right. My eyes scan the room, searching for my favorite shade of Greene. I spot her swaying her hips in tune with the music alongside some old friends. As much as I want to steal her away, I take a seat and patiently wait for her. I anticipate our conversation won’t be easy, so I’m glad she’s enjoying herself for now. I sit in a seat assigned to me and take note of the seat next to her seat, meant for Kai. Katherine must have loved him deeply to honor him at her wedding like this.
I can’t lie. I often find myself wondering what it would’ve been like to meet Kai under other circumstances. Our personalities couldn’t be more different, but our meeting would have been inevitable because of how much we both care about Iris. I wonder if we would’ve been friends. My eyes flicker back to her, and to my utter shock, she is suddenly dancing with someone. Not just anyone, either—it’s the asshole from the Halloween party. I turn away for two minutes and, of course, he swoops in to steal her first dance of the evening. Of fucking course.
As they dance together, she looks stiff. I clench my jaw, restraining myself. His expression appears apologetic, but he still pulls her closer and whispers something in her ear despite her obvious disinterest.That’s it.I toss back the rest of my drink and stand up, trudging to her side. Upon reaching them, I stand in between them and graze her back, drawing my lips to her ear.
“I’m here to steal you away,” I whisper, to which her eyes light up.
“Please do,” she mumbles. I grin, then turn toward the prick.
“Thanks for keepingmygirlfriend company. You’re free to go,” I shout over the music, reaching out for her hand. He scowls at me, visibly outraged by my interruption. I bore my eyes into him, daring him to fucking try me. After a few seconds, he glances back at Iris. She responds with a simple shrug and a polite smile.That’s my girl.
“I appreciate your apology, Jake.” She takes my hand. “Take care.”
I lead her toward the opposite edge of the dance floor as far away from him as possible. I don’t know what came over me just now, but holding her close is already calming me.
“So, what did he have to say?”
“He wanted to apologize for the way he acted on Halloween. He acknowledged how ridiculous he was being.” She trails off, looking down at her feet while our hips sway to the music.
“That’s all?”
“And again,he asked if I’d be open to giving him a chance.” She sighs. I’m not even remotely surprised.
“Ah,thereit is,” I smirk, “and you told him to piss off, I presume?” She chuckles in response, rubbing my back.
“More or less, but in a much more civilized manner than that,” she jibes. I raise her hand above us, twirling her, watching her green dress flutter.
“Enough about him.” I glance down at her. Her dress accentuates her eyesandbody perfectly. She wraps her arms around my neck as we gaze into each other’s eyes. Despite all the pain she carries, her emerald eyes glitter brightly against the dim lights in the room. The world around us fades, growing blurry. She slides her hands down from my neck to my back, pulling me toward her tightly as she leans her head against my chest. I embrace her, continuing to sway with the music. The melody grows fainter and fainter until it lingers in our ears as a mere echo of what it was.
At this moment, I can only register one sound: the rhythm of our hearts, beating in harmony as one.
She glances up at me. I frame her face with my hands and pull her in for a kiss, savoring her taste. We break away and lean back into each other, swaying again.
Don’t tell her. You can’t let her down, Jasper.
My heart stops beating. I’ve already been feeling uncertain about telling Greene about Kai, but knowing this could let her down eats me alive. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt her, but it feels like the longer I keep this from her, the more it will hurt in the long run. On the flip side, I have no idea how she will react knowing this information. It’s not every day you find out you have a guardian angel who just so happens to be your big brother whom you idolized your entire life. This is sucha screwed-up situation. We continue dancing, but Iris pauses, glancing up into my eyes again to search them.
“Everything okay? You look… off,” she says worriedly.That’s an understatement.“Honestly, things have felt a little off since Thanksgiving."
“Everything is okay, love. Let’s go somewhere quiet to talk.” I guide her off the dance floor, weaving us through the crowd to make it outside. I don’t feel anxiety often, but damn, I’m feeling it right now. I lead her to the grove in the forest, the same area I spoke to Kai in earlier. I find a large sitting stone, wipe it down, and then prompt her to sit. I follow suit, sitting next to her. I take her hands in mine. I glance around to see if I can spot Kai, but alas, he doesn’t seem to be here.
“Iris, I need to start by expressing how much you mean to me. Every moment we’ve spent together stays with me, right in here.” I lay my hand over my heart. Then, I point a finger at my head. “But there’s something inhereI can no longer keep to myself.”
I glimpse up at the stars and take a deep breath. “Have you ever wondered what happened to Kai after he passed away?”
She gazes at the stars and exhales. “Every day, he crosses my mind. I have no idea what to believe, but I’d like to believe he’s up there, in the stars, shining brightly."
“I like the idea of that.” I grin while my eyes remain fixed on the stars flickering in the cloudy night sky. “What if, after a person dies, they’re given a choice between staying a little longer or crossing over? Do you think that’s plausible?”
“I suppose anything is possible, considering no one really knows.” She looks down. “Wherever and whatever Kai may be now, I hope he’s found peace.” I nod, then peer back at her as she stares at the stars. I don’t want to tell her, but I know I need to. She deserves the truth—and not just fragments of it—the full truth.
“This is going to be a lot to take in, so I’m going to just say it.” I swallow and run my fingers through my hair to distract myself from my racing heart. “I met your brother shortly after moving back to the Cove.”
Her brows furrow as confusion crosses her features. “I—I don’t understand.” Her eyes search mine for answers. I tighten my grasp of her hand, rubbing it gently. “Are you like a psychic or medium or something?”
“No, Greene. Quite frankly, I never even believed in the supernatural… until I met Kai,” I whisper. “Although your brother is deceased, he’s still here. He’s been here for years. He’s your guardian angel now, and for some reason neither of us can explain, I can see him.”
Her green eyes widen as her breathing shortens. “That’s not possible, Jasper. My brother died. Two years ago. This isn’t funny.”
