The Billionaire Recluse & The girl who stayed.

Unwanted Emotions.

~ Jasper ~

I couldn't focus.

Not on emails.

Not on contracts.

Not even on the figures in front of me—which was saying something, because numbers were the one thing that usually made sense.

But not today.

Today—

My mind kept going back to that message.

Dale.

I shouldn't have opened it.

I should have ignored it.

But I didn't.

And now—

It was all I could think about.

—

I leaned back in my chair, jaw tight, staring at the screen without really seeing it.

Dale had texted earlier.

Casual.

Like it was nothing.

Like he hadn't just dropped something that had completely thrown me off.

Lexi is stunning.

The words replayed in my head.

Again.

And again.

And again.

My grip tightened slightly on the armrest.

Of course she is.

That wasn't the problem.

Everyone could see that.

But Dale—

Dale noticing it?

Dale saying it?

That did something I didn't like.

Something sharp.

Uncomfortable.

Unfamiliar.

—

I exhaled slowly, pushing myself up from my desk.

This was pointless.

I wasn't getting anything done like this.

I needed to clear my head.

—

The pool was quiet.

As always.

Still.

Controlled.

The water settled as I stepped in, the cool temperature grounding me instantly.

I swam.

Lap after lap.

Pushing harder than necessary.

Letting the rhythm take over.

Letting it drown out everything else.

It usually worked.

Usually.

But today—

Even under the water—

My mind didn't stop.

Lexi.

Her laugh.

The way she looked at me last night.