[JASMINE – POV]
The photo in my hand felt like poison.
Lucas looked younger—drunk, dazed, with a girl draped over him who definitely wasn't me. She was laughing, shirt half-off, and he… he looked too comfortable.
"Jasmine—" Lucas started, but I held up my hand.
"I just want to know if it's real," I whispered.
"It's real," he said, and my heart cracked.
"But it's not what you think."
I turned away, not sure if I could breathe. "Why didn't you tell me you used to mess around like that?"
"Because I'm not proud of it. That was before I met you. Before I even cared about who I was becoming."
I was quiet for a long moment. "And now?"
He stepped closer. "Now, I care. Too much. About you. About us. That photo? It's a piece of the old me. But you—you're the only real thing I've ever wanted."
I didn't know what scared me more—the truth in his voice, or how badly I wanted to believe him.
[LUCAS – POV]
Jasmine didn't cry. That was almost worse.
She just stood there, still and silent like a storm that hadn't hit yet.
"I should've told you," I said again.
She finally looked at me. "You should've. But it's not just the photo, Lucas. It's what it means. That Ayo thinks he can get to me. That he knows you're hiding things."
She was right.
And that meant the game had changed.
Now it wasn't just about protecting my past—it was about protecting her future.
And I'd do whatever it took to make sure no one—especially Ayo—touched her again.