Page 107 of The Art of Ruin

Because there it is. The thing I couldn’t see when I loved him.

The thing Adriano saw immediately.

Jasper doesn’t want forgiveness.

He wants control of the narrative.

He wants everyone comfortable again.

He wants the consequences to stop.

And suddenly, looking at him standing there with another woman and another life and another version of the truth, I don’t feel heartbroken.

I feel free.

The woman looks between us uncertainly.

For the first time since this began, she doesn’t look angry. She looks confused.

Good.

Maybe she should be.

Jasper notices the shift immediately. His hand slides more firmly to her back. “We have a reservation to get to. Let’s head over.”

It’s the first genuinely smart thing he’s done.

He turns her gently toward the other side of the restaurant.

Not toward the exit.

Just away from me.

Away from the conversation.

Away from any questions she might start asking.

But before he goes, he looks back.

And for the first time, the mask slips completely.

The anger in his eyes is unmistakable.

He wanted this encounter to go differently.

He wanted me upset.

Still wanting him.

Still chasing him.

Still stuck.

Instead, all he’s done is remind me exactly why I left.

And exactly how lucky I was that he made room in my life for someone better.

17.Adriano