Jasper Whitlock has walked the world for decades, worn down by visions, expectations, and a life that was never truly his. On a cold Texas hill beneath an endless sky, he speaks into the night, folds a torn scrap of red paper into a fragile heart—and lets the wind take it. What happens next is nothing short of impossible.
Continue reading →The Release:
Jasper stood on the hill beneath the endless Texas stars, holding a torn piece of red paper shaped like a heart. He had poured his loneliness into the night sky, asking the universe if there was anyone out there for him.
He let the heart go.
The wind took it, carrying it up into the darkness, and for just a moment, something shifted. The air grew warm. A presence, vast and patient, seemed to stir.
Something had heard him.
Two thousand miles away, a girl named Bella was asking the same question.
“Come somewhere with me.”
Four words. That was all it took to change everything.
Bella looked up at Jasper Whitlock, at the intensity burning in his amber eyes, and felt her heart stutter in her chest. The New Year’s Eve party swirled around them, but he wasn’t looking at the champagne or the decorations or the crowd counting down to midnight.
He was looking at her like she was the only thing in the universe that mattered.
“Where?” she whispered.
“Somewhere the stars can hear us.”
The Cullen Christmas Party Author’s Note: This is one of five Christmas short stories featuring Bella and Jasper. Each story is a standalone piece that may or may not connect to the others. They are meant to be enjoyed as individual holiday moments. Thank you for reading!
Continue reading →The Tree That Almost Fit Author’s Note: This is one of five Christmas short stories featuring Bella and Jasper. Each story is a standalone piece that may or may not connect to the others. They are meant to be enjoyed as individual holiday moments. Thank you for reading!
Continue reading →Bella squinted through the rain-lashed windshield. There was something in the road. Something tall and dark and absolutely not supposed to be there.
She slammed on the brakes.
The figure didn’t move. Just stood there, rain streaming down what she now realized was a tuxedo. A very expensive, very wet tuxedo.
She rolled down her window. “Are you okay?”
The stranger turned. Golden eyes met hers, filled with more pain than she’d ever seen.
“No,” he said quietly. “But I’m hoping to be.”
Best decision she ever made, hitting that brake.
