Belle's POV
The moment I stepped through the front door, the scent of home wrapped around me. Warmth, comfort, safety. It was like the house itself was trying to shield me from everything that had happened that day. My chest loosened just a little as I shut the door behind me and leaned against it for a second, breathing in.
Jasper was already there, waiting. The look on his face was soft, full of worry, though he didn't ask me anything right away. He didn't press. He just opened his arms, and that was all it took for me to move into them.
I melted into his chest, my face pressed against the familiar fabric of his shirt. His arms closed around me, strong, steady, grounding. For a while, I didn't move. I just listened to his heartbeat steady and sure, like the one thing in my life that hadn't betrayed me.
But the problem with silence is that it leaves room for thoughts.
And mine slipped back.
