The Billionaire Recluse & The girl who stayed.

Changes for the better.

~Jasper~

I didn't let go of her hand.

Not once.

Not when the silence settled between us.

Not when my thoughts tried to creep back in.

Because for the first time in a long time—

I didn't want to retreat into them.

I wanted to stay here.

With her.

With us.

My thumb traced slow circles over her skin, grounding myself in something real.

Not the past.

Not the fire.

Not the ghosts that had haunted me for ten years.

Just... her.

I exhaled slowly, lifting my head to look at her properly.

"Lex," I said quietly.

She tilted her head slightly, watching me carefully.

There was still softness in her eyes... but also caution.

Like she was waiting to see if I'd disappear again.

I didn't blame her.

"I've spent ten years hiding," I continued.

My voice was steady, but it took everything in me to say it out loud.

"Convincing myself it was easier that way. Safer."

I let out a quiet breath.

"No one gets close. No one gets hurt. That's what I told myself."

My jaw tightened slightly.

"But that's not living."

Her expression shifted—just slightly—but I caught it.

Hope.

Small... but there.

"I thought if I stayed inside these walls... I could control everything," I admitted. "Control what I feel. Control what I lose."

A pause.

Then quieter—

"But I was wrong."

Because the truth was...

Even locked away in this house—

I still felt everything.

And when it came to her—

I felt too much.

"You didn't just walk into my life, Lex," I said, my voice softer now. "You forced me to look at it."

Her lips parted slightly, like she didn't expect that.

"You stayed," I added.

"When I pushed you away... when I gave you every reason to leave..."

My grip on her hand tightened slightly.

"You stayed anyway."

Silence wrapped around us again.

But it wasn't heavy this time.

It felt... steady.

Certain.

"I don't want to hide anymore," I said finally.

The words hung there.

Real.