︵‿︵‿୨♡ Ｗｈｉｓｐｅｒｓ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｈｅａｒｔ ~ ♡୧‿︵‿Paigebueckers

Part 13

Jasmine jolts awake, her breath coming fast and shallow, her body coated in a cold sweat. For a moment, the world is a blur, and her heart hammers against her chest. She blinks into the dark, trying to clear the fog of sleep, trying to ground herself. The soft hum of the fan in Paige's room, the familiar weight of the blankets—Paige—she's here. Everything is fine.

But Jasmine's heart is still racing, the panic settling low in her stomach, thick and heavy. It was just a dream. It was just a dream, she repeats in her mind, but the echo of the party, of seeing Paige with Maddie, doesn't fade.

The memory is still too fresh. She had walked into the living room, just for a second, and there they were—Paige, laughing, standing a little too close to Maddie. Maddie, with her bright, confident smile. Maddie, Paige's ex, who had always had that way of making Jasmine feel like she didn't quite belong.

It was nothing, Jasmine tells herself. Nothing happened. Nothing happened.

But the seed of doubt had been planted in her mind, and the jealousy, the sick feeling in her stomach, had bloomed instantly. She had stood there for a moment, watching them, wondering if she was just imagining things. The way they looked at each other, the way their bodies were too close, too comfortable, too familiar.

What if Paige still has feelings for her? What if I'm not enough?

The thought hits her like a punch to the gut, and it lingers, settling in her chest like a dark cloud. She pulls the covers tighter around her, trying to force the anxiety to go away, but it doesn't. She can't shake the images of Maddie's touch, of her too-friendly smile, of that old, gnawing fear that Jasmine was going to be left behind, just like she had been with Ally.

No. Stop. Paige isn't like Ally.

Jasmine's thoughts start to spiral, the old insecurities creeping in. Her ex, Ally—she had been everything Jasmine thought she wanted for years. The perfect girlfriend, always so sweet, always so charming. But after five years together, it turned out all that sweetness had been a lie. Jasmine found out the hard way, late one night when Ally's betrayal came crashing into her world.

Ally had cheated. Five years, Jasmine thought. Five years of love, of trust, of promises—gone in a moment. The lies, the manipulations. I never meant to hurt you, Jas. You're overreacting. It wasn't like that.

Ally's cold indifference had stung. The way she had dismissed Jasmine's pain, brushing it off like it was nothing. Jasmine had been left standing in the wreckage, heartbroken and lost, wondering what she had done wrong. Was I not enough? Was I just a placeholder for her?

Now, with Paige—everything feels different. Paige is kind, patient, steady in a way that Ally had never been. But the jealousy still comes, like an old, familiar ache. Jasmine wonders, for a split second, if she's just waiting for the other shoe to drop. What if Paige leaves, too? What if she finds someone else? What if I'm not enough for her, like I wasn't enough for Ally?

Jasmine's breath hitches as the memories flood in, and the weight of the past feels suffocating. The pain of the betrayal, the fear of abandonment—it presses in on her like a vise. Please don't leave me, she thinks. Please, Paige, don't leave me like she did.

But then, through the thick fog of her thoughts, she hears a soft voice—Paige's voice, familiar and comforting.

"Jas?" Paige murmurs, her voice thick with sleep, but there's concern in it too. "Are you okay? You're shaking."

Jasmine swallows hard, the tightness in her throat making it hard to speak."I-I had flashbacks from the past.
My ex she cheated. Then threw my emotions to the side like nothing.I'm just scared you might to."

Paige shifts beside her, pulling herself up slightly to face Jasmine. Her touch is gentle, her hands warm against Jasmine's skin as she brushes a few strands of hair from her face.

"Jas," Paige says softly, "you don't have to be scared. I promise you, I'm not going anywhere."

Jasmine's eyes well up, and she fights to keep the tears from spilling. The weight on her chest starts to lift just a little, but the remnants of fear still gnaw at her. "I know, I just...I keep thinking I'll mess up, that I'll push you away, or that I'm not enough for you."

Paige's eyes soften, her expression tender as she pulls Jasmine closer, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace. "You're more than enough, Jas. I love you. I'm not going anywhere, okay? You're safe with me."

Jasmine feels the tremble in her body begin to subside, the tightness in her chest loosening just a little. The ghosts of the past don't disappear completely, but in this moment, with Paige's arms around her, they feel a little farther away.

"I love you, too," Jasmine whispers, her voice breaking slightly as she presses her face into Paige's chest, letting herself believe—just for tonight—that maybe, just maybe, things are different this time.

Paige runs a hand through Jasmine's hair, kissing the top of her head. "I'm here, Jas. I'm not going anywhere."

And for the first time in a long time, Jasmine felt secure.