Chapter 73

Aria’s POV

While I continued to try to wrap up most of my life at home and at the office, preparing for my move, one of my key distractors, day after day, was the presence of Jasper.

Every single day after I broke my mating bond with Lucian, Jasper sent flowers to Cathy’s house. Sometimes he would even show up to give them himself.

If Cathy was there, she would glower at him. But Jasper would just smile.

“She told you she isn’t interested,” Cathy reminded him.

“Maybe I’m just being friendly,” Jasper replied.

We all knew the truth. Jasper had dove head first in trying to woo me. I didn’t totally mind, not really. Though I had no intention of giving into his advances, which I told him time and time again, he still provided a pleasant distraction.

It was nice to feel wanted for a change, after a long marriage of feeling like I was alone.

Eventually, seeing that Jasper’s presence didn’t bother me, even Cathy loosened up. Jasper could make her laugh just as much as me. It was a nice change of pace.

Tonight, however, Cathy was working late when I let Jasper into the house. He was carrying his usual vase of bright colored flowers, but his smile wasn’t quite as bright as usual.

“What’s wrong?” I asked immediately.

“I hoped you wouldn’t notice,” he admitted, smiling sheepishly.

“We’re friends now, Jasper. I can tell when something is up.”

With a sigh, he gestured to the couch. “Maybe we should move to the couch.”

When I started running out of vases, Jasper started bringing his bouquets already in them. Blessedly, this one tonight was already in water, so I could set it aside without worrying about it. I placed the vase on the coffee table as I sat on one end of the couch. When Jasper sat on the other side, we turned to face each other.

“I’ve heard some rumors,” Jasper said. “Rumors about my family.”

I braced myself. “About Lucian?”

“In part.”

“I don’t know if I…” My defense was weak. Part of me didn’t want to hear anything about Lucian. The other part of me wanted to know absolutely everything. I’d hardened myself since losing my lunch the other day.

Well. I at least didn’t feel like throwing up right now. Yet.

Placing my hands over my stomach, I said, “Go ahead and tell me.”

“Where to start. With the continued turn of Sheila’s reputation, everyone has started talking sides. Sheila, of course, refuses to take accountability and has started threatening suicide again.” Seeing my look of distress, he leaned into me. “She always says that when Lucian hesitates in giving her what she wants. Queen of manipulation, that one.”

I could see that, but to threaten something like that was an entirely different level of despicable.

“Almost everyone in my family now despises Sheila, because of her terrible reputation, because of the problems she’s made for you and Lucian, and maybe most of all, because of how Lucian just seems to blindly give her whatever she asks for like he has no mind of his own. We can all see his frustration. We know he’s tired of her, but he just keeps giving her everything she wants.”

I shook my head. “He gives Sheila everything and defends her as strongly as he does because he loves her.”

“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that,” Jasper said. “And neither is anyone else in the family. We’ve all started digging a little bit. We’ve uncovered some things, talking to each other, piecing together what we know.” He looked at me more closely. “How much do you know about Sheila and Lucian’s past?”

“They have a complicated past,” I said. “They split up before I came into the picture.”

“Did he ever tell you what happened between them?”

That would require Lucian to talk with me at all. “No.”

“Lucian rejected her. Of that much, we’re sure of. Sheila did not take that particularly well and demanded that Lucian find her a new mate. Lucian introduced her to one of his old friends, Bradley. We all knew him well enough. He was known to be an upright and honorable man, a pillar of the community, and a reliable member of the pack.”

I tried to think back but I didn’t remember Bradley. Maybe his name mentioned… Perhaps not.

“For some unknown reason, he was exiled from the pack.”

Oh! That was how I knew of him. “That was earlier this year, wasn’t it?” I tried not to delve too deeply into pack politics, wanting to be a good wife who would never go against her husband. Whatever he sided for was what I sided for too.

At least, that was how I had tried to keep things at that time. Now that we were parted somewhat, I realized how foolish this had been. I didn’t let myself be my own person when I’d been with Lucian. Always, I had only considered myself an extension of him, a dutiful wife meant to serve, never question.

I had plenty of questions now.

“It was,” Jasper said. “It caused some controversy at the time. How could such an upstanding member of the pack be exiled, and for no reason? Yet, when the reporters came snooping, they never found any answers. Eventually the public grew bored and everyone turned their attention onto the next thing.”

“Your family thinks this is suspicious though,” I said.

“Well, don’t you?” Jasper prompted.

He was right. I absolutely did.

“Lucian never talked to me about any of this,” I said, my heart falling once more. Just when I thought I couldn’t be any further disappointed by my situation with Lucian, something new would unravel, uncovering new evidence of the massive expanse between us.

Had we ever truly known each other at all?

“I’m sorry I upset you,” Jasper said. “That wasn’t my intent.” He shrugged. “I just thought you might like to know.”

I did, even if I wasn’t sure why. None of this affected me anymore. Though I supposed I still felt some loyalty toward the family that had been part of my support network for so long.

As an orphan, I didn’t have my own family anymore. Lucian’s family was all I had.

Though now I didn’t have them anymore either.

“Aria,” Jasper said, recalling my attention once more.

When I looked over at him, he inched over on the couch, coming closer toward me. When he was close enough to reach, he placed his hand over mine on my knee.

I looked at his hand covering mine. His skin was soft and warm. Larger than mine, I could barely see my fingers peeking between his own.

“Lucian kept things from you, but I never will,” Jasper said.

I closed my eyes a moment, understanding now. Jasper was trying to make his move once again.

In another universe, another life, perhaps I would have been open to such advances. Jasper was a handsome man, and though he carried the playboy reputation, he’d always been kind to me.

Yet, “You know why I have to refuse you, Jasper. Please don’t make me hurt you again.”

“I won’t be hurt,” he insisted.

I shook my head. “Saying it might hurt me instead.”

“Oh.” Slowly, he pulled his hand away. Though his touch had been warm, I was relieved when it was gone.

The words I couldn’t say, the words we both knew…

The reason I couldn’t be with Jasper yet, or maybe ever…

Despite my best efforts to forget him, I still had deep feelings for Lucian.