AIDEN'S POV
The drive back was completely silent. Not just quiet, but heavy and filled with unspoken thoughts.
Each car I passed felt like a reminder of what I wished I could change. With every mile, I felt like I was getting closer to a house that seemed even emptier than it did the night before.
My knuckles turned white as I gripped the steering wheel. Ace hadn't said a word since Jasmine had slammed the door on me.
Words weren't necessary; we both felt the guilt hanging over us like a heavy chain.
She didn't scream; she didn't cry. She just calmly told me to leave.
And she was right to.
I hadn't just scared her. I'd crossed a line I never should have approached, even with every instinct clawing at my skin.
She looked at me like she didn't recognise me.
Like I was a stranger in the body of someone she used to love.
Ace stirred finally, quiet, low in my mind. "She didn't reject us."
"She didn't have to. Her silence was enough."
"She's hurting. You felt it."
