Page 48 of Jasper

“What do you mean?” I step closer, fear flooding me. “Did something happen to Ariana?”

“No,” he says quickly, holding up his hands as if to stave off my panic. “Not like that. But I… I was in the living room and, well, I reached for her popcorn without thinking, and she… she smacked my hand away.”

“What?” My heart lurches. Fuck. I should have warned him about her issues with sharing food. “Then what?”

“She got upset and started apologizing, but when she did, she reached out to touch my arm, and I flinched and pulled back. I didn’t mean to, man. I was just in shock that she smacked me. I wasn’t prepared for her to touch me. I’m sorry, Jasper. I think I scared her.” His voice drops, guilt lined in every word. “She ran upstairs.”

“You let her run away?” I look toward the stairs, the urge to go after her surging through me.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Theo throws his hands into the air, frustration flashing in his eyes. “I didn’t want to make things worse by following her.”

I’m already moving toward the stairs. “I’ll go talk to her.”

“Wait,” he calls, grabbing my arm. “Should I go talk to her? Explain why I flinched?”

I shake my head and sigh. “I’ll explain it to her. Don’t worry. She’ll be okay. She doesn’t like people touching her food. She did the same thing to me when I reached for her plate. I should have warned you. This is on me.”

His expression softens as he processes my words, his grip relaxing. He nods slowly, glancing at the staircase, concerned. “Fine. Just… tell her I’m sorry.”

I nod and offer my brother a reassuring smile. “I’ll handle it. I promise.”

Before I turn away, he pulls me into a quick embrace, holding me tight for a moment. “I’m sorry, man.”

“No need to be. We all have our demons. Including her. She’ll understand,” I say, squeezing him back before breaking away and rushing upstairs.

When I reach her room, I knock softly on the closed door, pushing it open slightly. “Rainbow?” I call softly. “Can I come in?”

No response.

My heart spasms. “Ariana,” I repeat, stepping fully inside.

The room is dark, and I’m met with the sight of her curled up in the corner on the floor, knees tucked to her chest, her blanket wrapped tightly in her hand. My pulse quickens as I take in the tear streaks on her cheeks, her small frame trembling slightly.

Shit.

I cross the room quickly, kneeling beside her, and she jumps slightly at my sudden presence. “Hey.”

She looks up at me, eyes glistening with the remnants of tears. “Theo hates me,” she whispers, chin quivering. “I hit him, and now he must think I’m a bad girl.”

Fuck.

“No.” My heart aches as I reach for her instinctively. “No, he doesn’t think that at all.” I scoop her into my arms without waiting for permission, settling into the nearby armchair as I cradle her against my chest. “You’re not a bad girl, baby. You’re a good girl.”

Her small body shakes as she nestles into me, the warmth of my arms wrapping around her like a protective shield. “I shouldn’t have hit him. I don’t know why I did. It’s like I saw him going for my popcorn and I panicked, and I didn’t mean to.”

“I know, baby. And he knows that, too. Just like he didn’t mean to flinch when you touched him. We all make mistakes.” I bury my cheek in her hair, inhaling the soft scent of strawberries that surrounds her. “Trust me, I’ve made plenty of my own. Theo understands. He’s not angry at you, I promise.”

“Really?” She peeks up at me, those bright blue eyes wide and vulnerable.

“Really,” I reassure her, brushing a thumb across her cheek, wiping away any leftover tears. “Hopefully, over time it will get better, but it’s okay if it doesn’t. Either way, you’re safe here, baby. We all have our own demons to fight, and we still accept one another just as we are.”

I close my eyes and hold her close, absorbing every bit of her warm and loving energy. She relaxes against me with an adorable sigh, her breathing growing steadier. I’m not sure how it’s possible for it to happen so fast, but somehow, she calmsmydemons.

No one has ever been able to do that.

Not until my Little thief.

18

---