Belle's POV
The study smells faintly of leather just like my dad's study, a comforting scent that should calm me but doesn't. Jasper looks tired, worn down from days of having to deal with my silence .
My chest feels tight, but I can't run anymore. If I keep holding this inside, it will rot me from the inside out.
"Do you remember," I begin quietly, "when you asked why I reacted that way to having Talia in our lives?"
Jasper's looks sharpens. He doesn't move, but I can feel the way he's holding his breath.
"Yes," he says carefully.
I swallow, my hands twisting together. "The truth is… she destroyed me once. Completely. And I've been too afraid to admit how deep it went."
He takes one step closer, but he doesn't interrupt. He just waits. And somehow, that makes it harder. Because Jasper has always been patient, always willing to let me find my words in my own time. I don't deserve that kind of grace, not after pushing him away.
