Page 151 of Railing the Billionaire

I couldn’t be as strong and open as Layana, but I could be better.

Jasper sighed, turning on the garage floor beside me to face me directly. “Dude, I'm worried about you. We don't have to talk details, but it's obvious you're hurting. Just wanna make sure you're okay.”

His honest concern crumbled the walls Layana had already cracked.

I said, “Everyone should be entitled to private thoughts, and to process them in any way they choose.”

“Of course,” Jasper said.

“And that’s all Layana did. She kept a journal on her laptop. That laptop was stolen, and her private thoughts were put on display for the world to see.”

He nodded. “It has to feel awful to be judged for something like that.”

“I think so, too.”

“That doesn’t nullify the harm done to you, either,” he said.

“I know. But I shouldn’t have shut her out. It hurt that she betrayed me, but not nearly as badly as it hurts not waking up to her smiling face every day.”

“Have you tried talking to her?”

“No. I’m not ready. I’m…confused. I’m afraid.”

“Of course you’re scared. Fear’s what nature gave us to keep us safe. It keeps us from making decisions that hurt, but sometimes life hurts anyway. Some risks are worth hurting for.”

“It almost sounds as if you know what you’re talking about.”

He laughed. “Almost.”

Interesting, since as far as I knew, Jasper had never been in love before. He dated plenty, but no one ever stuck for more than a few weeks before he moved on for one reason or another.

The act of verbalizing my pain and regret released some of the hollow tension I'd carried. I realized then how much I had isolated myself all over again.

“So maybe shutting Layana out wasn't the answer,” Jasper suggested. “It sounds like she genuinely regrets what happened.”

“She called and texted over and over again. I didn’t respond.”

“Sounds like she wants to make amends. Seems like you might, too.”

His words rang uncomfortably true. In my pain, I had retreated back to cold solitary comfort. But completely cutting Layana off only deepened the wounds for both of us. I saw that now.

“You might be right,” I admitted. A hesitant hope took root. The damage between me and Layana couldn't be erased, but perhaps our connection was still salvageable. “What if she doesn’t want to hear from me?”

“Then if you give it your best shot, you’ll know you’ve done everything you can. You put the ball back in her court and see what happens.”

It sounded so simple, like the consequences weren’t the life or death stakes they felt like.

I clasped Jasper’s shoulder in gratitude. “Thank you for listening.”

“Anytime,” he said with a lopsided smile. “Now let's get this baby tuned up.”

We returned to our tasks, conversation flowing more easily and naturally than was our norm. The ice around my heart cracked, just a little. But it was a start. This time, I wouldn't let it freeze over again.

By the time he left, I had the spark of a plan.

It was reckless. It was desperate.

And if I was lucky, it just might work.

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