Jasper froze for half a second, locking onto his eyes as another wave of anger surged. Was he serious? Did he really think Jasper would just let this go?
They began circling each other, testing distance. Muscles taut. Fists clenched.
“You know Lynn isn’t just anyone to me,” Jasper growled, throwing the first punch. Nolan slipped it easily, guard up.“She’s my daughter, Nolan.”
“I know,” he shot back, countering with a punch Jasper blocked without trouble.“But she’s an adult. And I’m not some kid playing with her feelings.”
Jasper’s fists kept flying, fast and hard, but Nolan backed away, dodged, letthe blows cut through empty air as if he wanted Jasper to burn off his rage.
“You can be as angry as you want,” Nolan said, ducking a shot aimed at his jaw,“but I’m not walking away from her just because you don’t approve.”
Something inside Jasper snapped tighter. He drove in hard and caught Nolan in the ribs. Nolan grimaced but stayed on his feet, resetting his stance.
“Don’t do this, Nolan,” Jasper hissed, sweat dripping down his temples.“You’ll wreck everything. You already crossed a line.”
Nolan froze. Met his gaze. Then slowly pulled off his gloves and dropped them to the mat. He stepped back, breathing hard.
“I’m not apologizing for what I feel,” he said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.“And I’m not letting you control her life. She made her choice. And I’m ready to respect it—even if you can’t.”
Jasper stood there, unmoving, the words echoing in his head. They stared at each other in silence, chests rising and falling, the tension thick enough to touch.
Then Nolan bent down, picked up his gloves, gave Jasper a brief look, nodded, and headed for the exit.
“See you, Jasper,” he said over his shoulder without turning around.“And think about what matters more, your pride or your daughter’s happiness.”
Jasper stayed alone in the middle of the ring, fists clenched, anger still boiling—but Nolan’s words lodged deep, refusing to let go.
Jasper dropped into his car, tossed the gym bag onto the passenger seat, and wrapped his hands around the steering wheel. His heart was still racing. Jaw tight. Knuckles white.
He exhaled, leaned back, and closed his eyes, trying to calm down. The conversation replayed again and again. Nolan’s voice. His confidence. The way he’d said he wasn’t backing off.
Damn it.
Lynn was his daughter. His girl. And Jasper wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. Not even his closest friend.
He took a deep breath and pulled his phone from the pocket of his sweats. His eyes landed on a name without him meaning to look: Nina.
He stared at the screen. His fingers trembled slightly, his pulse still uneven. For some reason, thoughts of Nina always brought a strange warmth to his chest—something tangled with guilt, regret, and… desire. Even admitting that to himself felt dangerous.
He remembered the shelter. How good it had felt. Lynn hadn’t pulled away for once, hadn’t thrown barbs or tried to disappear. She laughed. Joked. And Nina had watched her with that soft, aching smile Jasper couldn’t look away from.
And that moment by the kennel when he caught Nina, when her body had been so close he could feel her breath.
Something inside him shifted.
Just a touch. That was all it took.
A long-buried feeling stirred—warm and terrifying at the same time. Like a crack spreading through the ice he’d built around himself for years.
Jasper stared at the phone, jaw clenched. His thumb hovered over the screen. This was a bad idea. He shouldn’t be getting closer to her. There was too much pain between them. Too much history.
She was a victim.
He was the man who had let it happen.
And yet he wanted to see her smile again. Hear her laugh. Watch her roll her eyes at his awkward jokes.
To hell with it.
