Page 73 of Jasper

Before I know it, I’m lifted off the ground in a dizzying spin as Cassian twirls me around, laughing. “I knew you could do it, Ari!”

I hug him tight, laughing breathlessly as he sets me down. “Thank you!”

Cassian leans back, his eyes gleaming with reverence. “We have to celebrate. All of us. Drinks. Food. Everything.”

I clap my hands, bouncing on my toes. “Yes! Let’s do it!”

I glance at Jasper, who looks less than thrilled about the idea, but he doesn’t argue. Instead, he raises an eyebrow, sighs dramatically, and nods. “Fine. But only one drink. Two if you’re eating something with it.”

Cassian’s already pulling out his phone, typing fast. “Texting the fam. One hour. Meet at our favorite bar.”

I beam at both of them, my heart so full it feels like it might burst.

This is what it feels like to have people rooting for you. To have family.

And it means the world to me.

* * *

The bar isalive.

Bodies sway, laughter roars, and the pulse of bass-heavy music thumps like a second heartbeat inside my chest. The air smells of beer, strong cologne, and warm bodies. The lights are low and golden, spilling over the worn wooden floors and flickering off the shiny bottles lining the shelves behind the bar. It’s crowded, buzzing with several different celebrations.

Jasper stands beside me, one arm wrapped tightly around my waist, anchoring me to him like he always does. As if he’s afraid I might disappear if he doesn’t. I can feel the tension in his body—his spine rigid, jaw clenched. He hasn’t had any of his drink, his eyes constantly scanning the room like a hawk circling the sky.

“Are you okay?” I ask, leaning in, my voice barely heard over the music.

He gives a small bob of the head, his gaze never stopping. “Just keeping an eye out.”

And he is. Always watching. Always guarding. He doesn’t relax—not really. It seems as if none of them do. Eventually, after a few uneventful songs and a little help from Cassian, who claps him on the back and presses a beer into his hand, some of his edge fades. Jasper finally takes a sip, and I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. I’ve learned a lot about Jasper since I’ve met him, but the biggest thing I’ve figured out is that he’s so dang protective over the people he cares about.

I turn to the dance floor, where Ember and Rowie are already waiting, swaying to the rhythm. He releases me, though reluctantly. The second I join them, I feel the beat ripple through me, from the soles of my shoes to the tips of my fingers. The music is electric, the lights spinning in slow and dreamy patterns above our heads.

We dance. We laugh. We hold hands and spin in circles until we’re breathless. It’s the first time I’ve ever been in a bar for fun. No darting eyes. No hunger. No plans to steal or run. I just get to enjoy.

Every few minutes, I glance back, and there he is.

My Daddy, leaning against the bar with that unreadable expression, watching me like I’m the only thing that matters. Each time our eyes meet, I run back to him, throw my arms around his neck, and kiss him. He always catches me, always kisses me back like he’s been waiting, and then he releases me to go back to dancing.

The other girls and I are covered in sweat, but we don’t care. Every time we think we might be done, another amazing song comes on and we can’t tear ourselves away from the dance floor.

Then, everything in the room seems to shift.

The door bursts open, and a large group of guys swagger in, loud, laughing too hard, their energy obnoxious. Shouts rise over the music. Glasses clink too sharply. The lights somehow feel harsher now.

The joyful hum turns sharp with tension. Voices get louder. A drink spills. A chair scrapes too hard. And then?—

Chaos.

A brawl erupts. Fists swing. People scream. Glass shatters. Tables topple.

“Jasper!” I scream, panic clawing up my throat.

I see him try to get to me, but bodies slam between us, sending me farther apart from him.

I turn, but Ember and Rowie are being pushed, shoved, and pulled in different directions. I reach for them, my hands flailing.

“Rowie! Ember!”

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