Chapter 6

At home, Jasmine never really fit in, and at school, she was invisible. Of all people, Niall was the one she wouldn't even let herself crush on, yet he stepped in and kept what was left of her pride from falling apart when she was at her lowest. He offered her the smallest bit of kindness, and she fell hard for him. Since then, Jasmine had thrown herself into her studies and had barely managed to get into Niall's university, too. He was still the golden boy, and after graduation, he became the institute's youngest chief researcher. She submitted her resume and turned down every other chance to move up, so that she could be by his side. "Jasmine?" Niall's voice snapped her back to the present. The infirmary doctor was cleaning Jasmine's wound. Niall stood off to the side and said, his voice flat, "Handle whatever's going on at home as soon as you can. Don't let it affect your work." His words hit her like cold water, snuffing out the small spark that had flared in her chest when he'd stepped in for her a moment earlier. He hadn't defended her for her sake. To him, the whole thing was just a nuisance getting in the way of his life. She lowered her gaze and finally just hummed in response. When the doctor was done patching up Jasmine's wound, Niall checked the time and said, "Professor Leavitt's group is having a little get-together tonight. Come with me." The table buzzed with warm, easy energy, and every conversation eventually circled back to the big breakthrough they'd just made. Kendra sat beside Niall, lit up as she rattled off stories from her time abroad. Across from them, Robert Leavitt watched his star student, Niall, and his daughter Kendra, his expression soft with pride. He glanced from Niall to Kendra and back again before speaking, a cheerful smile on his face. "Niall, you and Kendra worked really well together this time. One of you is steady, the other's quick on her feet. "You balance each other, in the lab and as people, too. You're not that young anymore, you know. You can't spend your whole life buried in research. It's time you thought a little about your own life. "Kendra can be a bit childish sometimes, but her heart's in the right place…" After a speech like that, it was impossible to miss what Robert was getting at. The few people at the table who already knew Niall was engaged went quiet, their gazes skimming over Jasmine before flicking away again. Kendra's cheeks flushed. "Dad," she said, but her eyes stayed fixed on Niall, bright with hope. Jasmine sat tucked into the corner, eyes down, watching the ice cubes drift in her glass. Niall let a few seconds pass before he answered, his voice as steady as ever. "Thank you for your concern, Professor Leavitt. Right now, I'm still focused on the project, so I'm not really thinking about that." As soon as he finished, the color drained from Kendra's face, leaving her suddenly paper-pale. She stared at Niall in disbelief, her eyes filling fast, then shoved back her chair and bolted out of the private room. "Kendra!" Robert called after her. Niall watched her go, a faint crease appearing between his brows before he pushed back his chair. "Professor Leavitt, I'll go check on her." The private room fell into an awkward silence. Jessie leaned closer to Jasmine, dropping her voice. "Jasmine, why didn't Niall say you two are engaged? Do you want me to tell Professor Leavitt?" Jasmine shook her head. "No. There's no need." If Niall wouldn't say it himself, letting someone else announce it would only make their relationship look like a joke. Jasmine sat there for a few more minutes, her stomach rolling with nausea. She finally muttered something about the restroom and slipped out of the private room. Instead of heading that way, she pushed through the restaurant's back door into a small, secluded courtyard. The night breeze had a cool edge, slicing through the heavy warmth and the faint reek of alcohol that clung to the air inside. That was when she saw them. Not far away, under a crabapple tree, Kendra stood with her back to her, folded into Niall's arms. Her voice reached Jasmine in broken bursts, choked with tears. "Why not? Niall, I like you. I know I'm not that mature, not as calm and put-together as Ms. Chetney… but I can work on it! If she can do it, I can learn it, too!" Niall didn't hug her back, but the fact that he let her cling to him said enough. Jasmine thought of the few times she had tried to get close to him, and how he had always pulled away, quick and unmistakable. Just then, Niall seemed to sense something and looked up. Jasmine kept her face blank as their eyes met, watching them as if it were a scene in a play that had nothing to do with her. Only her fists at her sides gave her away, nails biting into her palms. For a second, Niall's eyes seemed to widen, so quickly she almost wondered if she'd imagined it. Kendra was still lost in her own grief, oblivious. "I know you better than she does. I know how to make you happy…" Jasmine didn't stay. She turned and walked away. Back in the private room, she said she wasn't feeling well and excused herself early. Jessie watched her go, worry written all over her face, but in the end, she kept quiet. As Jasmine walked back to the dormitory alone, it felt like the ashes in her chest were scattering in the wind, leaving her hollow inside. She had just finished washing up and was about to lie down when someone knocked on the door. She pulled it open and found Niall standing in the hallway, half-lit by the dim light overhead.