The Billionaire Recluse & The girl who stayed.

Emotional changes.

~ Lexi ~

Three months.

Three months of learning a body that no longer listened to me.

Three months of frustration, tears, anger... and slowly—very slowly—acceptance.

Some days were easier.

Some days I woke up and forgot... just for a second... before reality hit all over again.

But through all of it—

There was one thing that never wavered.

Jasper.

He was there for everything.

The bad days.

The silent ones.

The ones where I snapped at him for no reason.

And the ones where I just needed him to sit beside me and say nothing at all.

He didn't fix it.

He couldn't.

But he stayed.

And that meant more than anything.

He'd asked me to be his girlfriend a few weeks ago.

I'd said no at first.

Not because I didn't want him—

But because I was terrified.

Terrified that it was pity.

That one day he'd wake up and realise what I'd become.

But he proved me wrong.

Every single day.

This wasn't pity.

This was love.

Real, patient, stubborn love.

—

I sat at my desk in my office, scrolling through emails, trying to focus.

Work had helped.

It made me feel normal again.

Like I was still me.

Not just... the girl in the wheelchair.

A knock sounded at the door.

I didn't even look up.

"Come in."

"Hey, baby."

That voice.

I smiled instantly despite myself, glancing up to see Jasper leaning casually against the doorframe.

"Fancy a movie?"

I raised a brow.

"I'm working."

He walked in slowly, hands in his pockets, that familiar smirk tugging at his lips.

"I'm your boss," he said, tilting his head slightly. "And I'm telling you to shut the laptop and come spend time with me."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't hide my smile.

"Goddd... you're so annoying."

"Yet you love me," he replied smoothly.

I sighed dramatically before closing my laptop.

"Fine."

He clapped once, satisfied.

"Good. See you in five."