Page 68 of The Edge Of Us

He chuckled. "She sounds like a handful."

"She is. And I love every minute of it."

"You light up when you talk about them."

I swallowed.

"They’re... everything."

Before I could say more, Brittany reappeared. She walked toward us, her expression shifting the second another man joined our little group.

Jasper noticed too. He smiled knowingly.

"Corine, this is Aceson. Ace, meet Corine."

Aceson nodded, charming and sharp in a navy suit. Brittany had frozen up.

"Hey, Brit," he said gently.

She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Hey."

I made a mental note to ask her about that later.

Then Jasper turned to me again. "Would you honor me with a dance?"

My mouth went dry. I hesitated, heart thumping.

"I—sure."

He offered his hand, and I let him lead me toward the dance floor, where a string quartet played something slow and rich. The room blurred as he took my waist, pulling me in gently.

"You smell like roses," he murmured.

I laughed, breathless. "That would be Luxe Bloom. I’m shamelessly advertising."

"Keep doing it. It’s working."

He twirled me, and I laughed again—really laughed. When he pulled me back, his eyes searched mine.

"You look beautiful tonight."

There was nothing flirty about the way he said it. Just honest. Deep.

"Thank you," I whispered.

I felt the ache in my chest. The familiar pull of guilt and longing. After everything I’d been through, after the darkness I survived—was I allowed to feel this?

We swayed in silence. My fingers resting on his shoulder. His hand warm on the small of my back.

For a moment, I forgot the whispers. The scars. The pain.

For a moment, I just danced.

And maybe, just maybe, I let myself believe there could still be good things waiting for me.

When the song ended, he leaned close. "You know, you just made this birthday unforgettable."

I didn’t trust my voice to answer. So I smiled, cheeks flushed.

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