Jasper returned to their chamber long after midnight, his steps softer than usual. The candles had burned low, their light spilling over the half-finished painting on Nicole's easel. She sat curled on the bed, awake, her fingers lightly tracing the carved edges of the crib where Vincent and Juliet slept peacefully.
Her eyes lifted the moment he entered. She could sense it instantly the weight in his shoulders, the storm hidden behind his gaze.
"You saw Edward," she said quietly.
Jasper stopped mid-step, violet eyes meeting hers. "How did you know?"
"You don't carry yourself like this unless his words cut you," she whispered. "What did he say?"
Jasper hesitated, removing his coat before crossing the room to her. He sat beside her, leaning forward with his hands clasped tightly, the way he did when wrestling with something he didn't want to say aloud.
