AIDEN'S POV
"Then I'll wait," I said in a quiet voice. "For as long as it takes."
And I meant it.
There was something about the way Jasmine looked at me in that moment—uncertain, cautious, but undeniably open—that told me she needed the space to believe this was real.
And when she whispered that question—"And if I'm not ready yet?"—she wasn't just talking about the bond. She was talking about herself. Her walls. Her past. The storm we were slowly circling together.
The waiter arrived just then, check in hand, shattering the fragile, beautiful tension between us. I paid without a blink. Honestly, I could've bought the entire building if it meant preserving that moment for just a second longer.
I stood and extended my hand.
She took it.
Warm fingers, soft skin, that same jolt of energy I felt every time she touched me. And this time, she didn't pull away.
