Not a Chance
For the first time in a long time, Jasmine was speechless.
She stared at Luke across the small coffee shop table, the words I want you back hanging in the air between them like a bad joke.
Like he actually believed she would consider it.
Like the past year hadn't happened.
She blinked, then leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "I'm sorry, I think I misheard you."
Luke swallowed. "Jasmine, I—"
"You want me back?" she interrupted, her voice calm.
He nodded.
Her fingers tapped against her arm. "You mean after you threw me away like I was nothing? After you chose Belle over me? After you made me feel like a fool in my own home?"
Luke winced. "Jasmine, I—"
"Did you hit your head recently? Or did you just suddenly develop amnesia?"
His jaw clenched. "I know I hurt you."
She scoffed. "Hurt me? Luke, you took everything I gave you—literally, my kidney—and still threw me aside for a woman you barely knew."
Luke exhaled. "I thought she loved me. I thought—"
Jasmine laughed, shaking her head. "You thought she loved you more than I did. Because I made you feel guilty. Because I had the audacity to expect you to appreciate the fact that I gave you life."
Luke flinched, and for once, she saw it—the guilt, the shame.
She didn't care.
"Let me ask you something, Luke," she said, leaning forward. "Would you be here, saying all of this, if that baby had actually been yours?"
Silence.
A slow, creeping smirk spread across her lips. "That's what I thought."
---
A Different Man's Company
Jasmine left the coffee shop feeling lighter.
For the first time, she had looked Luke in the eye and seen him for what he was—a man who made the wrong choice and was now dealing with the consequences.
But she wasn't his safety net.
She wasn't going to pick up the pieces.
She had better things to do.
Which was why, instead of going straight home, she found herself texting Asher.
Jasmine: Are you busy?
A few minutes later, her phone buzzed.
Asher: Not for you. What's up?
She hesitated.
Then she typed—
Jasmine: I need a distraction.
Asher: Where are you?
She smiled, despite herself.
---
An Unplanned Night Out
Asher met her at a rooftop bar downtown. The view was breathtaking, city lights stretching endlessly below them.
Jasmine exhaled as she took a sip of her drink. "I really needed this."
Asher leaned back, watching her. "Rough day?"
She smirked. "Luke asked for a second chance."
Asher's brows rose. "Did he now?"
She nodded. "Apparently, Belle's baby wasn't his. So now he suddenly remembers I exist."
Asher hummed. "And let me guess—he was shocked when you didn't jump into his arms?"
Jasmine snorted. "Exactly."
Asher shook his head, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "Men like him never realize what they have until it's too late."
Jasmine tilted her head. "You say that like you've seen it before."
His lips curled at the corner. "I've seen a lot of things."
She held his gaze, curiosity flickering. "And what about you? Have you ever made that mistake? Let someone go and regretted it?"
Asher's expression didn't change, but there was a brief pause before he answered.
"No."
Jasmine arched a brow. "Never?"
He took a slow sip of his drink. "I don't get into relationships. So there's nothing to regret."
Something about the way he said it—calm, firm, like he wasn't hiding anything—made her chest tighten.
Jasmine tapped her glass. "That's kind of sad."
He chuckled. "Is it?"
She nodded. "Yeah. You don't ever wonder what it's like? To have someone who's just… yours?"
Asher considered her for a long moment.
Then he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping just enough to send a shiver down her spine.
"I prefer to enjoy the moment," he murmured. "Like I am right now."
Jasmine's breath hitched.
She didn't know if it was the alcohol, the night air, or just him, but something about the way he looked at her—like he saw more than what she let people see—made her heart race.
She swallowed, forcing herself to smirk. "Flirting again, Judge Donovan?"
His lips twitched. "Just stating facts, Jasmine."
And maybe—just maybe—she didn't mind hearing them.
---