He didn’t understand it himself. He shouldn’t have been going there. He had no business going there.
Distance was the only right choice. Nina shouldn’t be seeing him at all. Frank had been dealt with, she was almost free, and he had kept his part of their bargain. Their paths were supposed to separate—there was too much darkness between them.
She was a victim.
He was the one who had allowed it to happen.
And then there was Lynn…
But still, he drove to her. Maybe, deep down, he just wanted to make sure she was okay. That she was smiling. That she had someone. That she was living a normal life.
He parked in a side alley, killed the engine, and sat in the dark for a few seconds, staring at the lit-up facade.
A quiet, upscale place where people discussed business, complained about coworkers, and sipped expensive drinks.
He locked the car and walked inside—having no idea what he intended to do.
Jazz played softly. Candles on the tables. Almost intimate. Jasper scanned the room.
She was at the bar, just as Nolan had said. Sitting sideways. Slim. Straight posture. Her hair pulled back with a strand or two loose. She looked like a woman who was exhausted but refused to show it to anyone.
A man sat beside her. Leaning in, saying something.
She smiled and something inside Jasper snapped.
A deep, painful twist, hot and heavy, like a valve bursting open. All the anger he’d been burying for months surged up—thick and molten.
He wasn’t supposed to feel this.
Didn’t have the right to feel this.Not about her. He wasn’t jealous.He couldn’t be.But inside, everything boiled. Pressed. Expanded.
The man leaned in closer, said something in her ear. Nina didn’t pull away. She simply looked at her drink and nodded.
Jasper watched her—watched them—and had no idea why he’d come. He barely let any woman close enough for more than a polite exchange, and he hadn’t felt genuine interest in anyone in years. But now… he was drawn to her. He wanted to walk up. Take her by the hand. Pull her away. Put a wall between her and that guy.
He tore his gaze away.
There was a free seat at the bar—one stool over from her. He walked up and sat down calmly. The bartender looked at him.
“Something to drink?”
“Water. No gas.”
The bartender blinked, surprised, but nodded.
Nina didn’t turn around.
But Jasper felt it, she knew he was there. Recognized his voice. Her shoulders tensed slightly.
He looked into the mirror behind the bar. The reflection framed all three of them: her profile, his, the man beside her. And at some point their eyes met in the mirror—everything else fading out. Nina bit her lip nervously, looking almost painfully adorable. Her eyes sparkled. Tonight she was different. Nothing like her usual self.
“How did you end up here?” Nina suddenly turned toward him, cutting off whatever nonsense the man had been whispering to her.
A smile touched Jasper’s lipstoo soft, too warm.
He looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time.
“Just happened to be nearby,” he said.“Didn’t expect to find you in a place like this.”
