(Scarlett’s POV)

More Rewards b /b

iI’m /iitwenty /iiagain/ii, /iistanding /iiin /iimy /iidorm /iiroom /iiwith /iimy /iisuitcase /iiopen /iion /iithe /iibed/i. iMy /iihands /iishake /iias /iiI /iifold /iiclothes /iiI’ve /inever worn before – sweaters, ithick /iitights/i, boots for iwalking /iithrough /iisnow/i.

–

iThe /iiSwitzend /iexchange program. iSix /imonths iin /iiZurich /iithat /ihas ime /inervous iand /iiexcited /iiin /iiequal /iimeasure/i.

iI /iipick /iiup /iithe /iwool scarf iI /iibought /ifor ithe /iitrip /i– isoft /iigray /iicashmere/ii, /iinothing /iilike /iithe /icolorful ones / saw iin /ithe mall. I’d practiced wrapping iit different /iways – iaround /iimy /iineck/ii, /iiover /iimy /iihair/i, iand /ijust islung /iover imy /iishoulder /ii– /iiuntil /imy ilegs /iistarted /iito /iiache/ii, /iiand /iimy /iieyes burned/ii, /iiand /iiyet /iistill /iiam /iinot /iisatisfied/i.

iAfter /ithe twentieth iattempt/i, iI /iicall /iiit /iiquits/ii. /iiDragging /iimy /iisuitcase /iiout /iiof /iimy /iibedroom/i, iI /iibid /iifarewell /ito my iparents/i, iand /iihop /iiin a /iitaxi/i.

iThe /iiairport /iibuzzes /iiwith /iiearly /iimorning /iitravelers/i. iI /iicheck /iimy /iiboarding /iipass /iifor /iithe /iithird /iitime/ii, /iinerves /iieating /iiat /iimy /iistomach/i. iThis /iiexchange /iiprogram /iicould /iimake /iimy /iicareer/ii. /iiInternational /iirtions /iimajors /iidon’t /iget iopportunities /iilike /iithis /iievery /iiday/i.

“Scarlett?”

iMy /iiblood /iifreezes/i. iI know /iithat /iivoice/i.

iI /iiturn /iislowly/ii, /iiand /iithere’s /iiJasper /iike/ii, /iistanding /iithree /iifeet away /iiwith /iihis /iimouth /iiopen/ii. /iiHis /iisuitcase /iisits /iiforgotten /iion /iithe /iiairport /iifloor/ii. /i

i“/iiJasper/ii?/ii” /iiMy /iivoice /iies /iiout /iiin a /iisqueak/ii. /ii“/iWhat iare /iiyou /iidoing /ihere?”

He doesn’t ianswer /iiimmediately/ii. /iiHe’s /iistaring /iiat /iime /iilike /ihe’s seeing a ghosti, /iihis /ieyes iwide /iiand /i

stunned.

“I… I’m on the isame /iistudent exchange /iiprogram/ii,/ii” /ihe ifinally /imanages. i“/iiDifferent /idepartment. Legal consultationi./ii” /i

We’ve known each other for itwo /iyearsi, /ishared sses, studied iin /ithe same libraryi. /iiBut /ihe’s looking at me like he’s never seen me before.

“Do I look weird?” I touch imy /iiscarf /iself–consciouslyi. /ii“/iiI /iknow iit’s /idifferent. I ijust /ithought-

i“/iYou look beautifuli./ii” /i

The words slip out of ihim /iiin /ia rush, soft iand /iifilled /iiwith /iwonder. His cheeks iflush /iired /ithe second

Chapter 91

ihe /iirealizes /iiwhat /iihe’s /iisaid/ii, /iiand /ithat makes my iheart /iiskip /ia ibeat/ii. /i

iBeautiful/i. iJasper /iike /iicalled /ime ibeautiful/i.

More Rewards

iThis /iiis /iithe /iifirst /iitime/i. He’s inever /icalled me ibeautiful /ibefore. I feel more self–conscious, heat isuffusing /iimy /iicheeks/i.

“iI /iimean-/ii” /iHe scrambles to ibacktrack/ii, /iibut /iiI’m /iinot /ilistening anymorei. /iiI’m /ilost iin /ithe iway /ihe’d looked at ime/ii, /iiwith /iiwonder/i, awe, iand /iamazement.

My heart ihammers /iso iloud /iiI’m /iisure /iihe /ican hear iit/i.

The dream ishifts/i. iWe’re /iiin /iiZurich /iinow/i, iwalking through /iiChristmas /iimarkets /iithat /iismell /ilike icinnamon /iiand /iimulled /iiwine/ii. /iiSnow /iicrunches /iiunder /iiour /iiboots/i, iand /iifairy /iilights /iiwrap /iiaround /iievery /i

tree iand /iibuilding/i.

I’ve been iwearing /iscarves for three iweeks /iinow/ii, /iiand /iiit /iino /iilonger /iifeels /iistrange/ii. /iiThe /iiSwiss /iiwinter /iidemands /iiit/ii, /iiand /iI’ve ilearned /iito /iiwrap them /iiin /iidifferent /iways i– /iiloose /iiand /iicasual /iifor /isses, ielegant /iiand /iistructured /iifor /iidinners /iiout/i.

iJasper /iiwalks /iibeside /iime /iithrough /ithe imarket/i, istealing nces /iiwhen /iihe /iithinks /iiI’m /iinot /iilooking/i.

i“/iiYou’re /iistaring /iiagain/ii,/ii” /iiI /iisay/ii, /iistopping /iito /iiexamine /iihand/ii–/iiknitted /iimittens /iiat /iia /iivendor’s /iistall/i.

iHe /iidoesn’t /iideny /iiit/ii. /ii“/iiI /iican’t /iihelp /iiit/i.

”

iThe /iihonesty /iiin /iihis /iivoice /iimakes /iime /iilook /iiup/i. iHis /iieyes /iiare /iisoft/ii, /iialmost /iireverent/i.

i“/iiIt’s /ijust a iscarf/ii, /iiJasper/i.i” /i

i“/iIt’s not the scarfi./i” iHe /iisteps closer/ii, /iilowering /iihis /iivoice/ii. /i“iYou /iilook/ii… /iiI /iidon’t /iiknow /ihow to exin it. You’re the most ibeautiful /iiwoman /iiI’ve /iiever /iiseen/i. iAnd /iithe /iscarfi… /iiit /imakes iyou /iglowi, /ialmost ias if /iyou’re holding a ilight /iiinside /iiyou or something/ii./ii” /i

My breath catches. iIn /iithree /iyears iof /iiknowing /iiJasper/i, he’s never said ianything /iilike /iithis /ito me.

The dream shifts again. We’re at a restaurant ioverlooking /ithe snow–covered icity/ii, /iisharing /iidinner /iafter long days at our respective offices. iI’m /iwearing the iblue /iwool scarf he bought me the week before, soft and warm against ithe /iiwinter /iicold/ii. /i

Jasper reaches across the table and adjusts where it’s slipped loose around imy /ineck. iHis /ifingers brush my throat, and electricity shoots through me.

“There,” he says, his gaze tender. i“/iPerfect.”

iBut /ihe doesn’t ipull /ihis hand iaway/ii. /iWe sit ithere /ifrozen, his ipalm /iwarm against imy /iiskin/i, imy /iheart beating so hard I fear it might burst iany /isecond.

2/4 fnd9fe ???? ????s? ???????s ?? fin?novel/fnd9fe

Chapter 91

i“/iiScarlett/ii,/ii” /iihe /iisuddenly /iiwhispers/i.

i“/iiHmm/i?b” /b

i“/iiWhen /iiwe /iiget /iiback /ito ithe /iStates…”

i“/iYes?”

i“/iiWill /iiyou /iistill /iwear them? iThe /iscarves?”

More Rewards

iThe /iiquestion /icatches me off iguard/i. iI /irealize iI /iihaven’t /iithought /iiabout /iigoing /iback to basic t–shirts iand /iihoodies/i. iThe /iscarves have be part of ime/i, the iact /iiso /iinatural/ii, /iiit’s /iias /iif iI’ve /ibeen iwearing /iiit /iifor /iyears. i“/iiI /iithink /iso,” I say. i“/iiI /iidon’t know /iihow /iito /iiexin /iiit/ii, /iibut /iiit /iifeels /iiright/ii, /iisomehow/ii./ii” /i

iHis /iianswering /iismile /iiis /iibreathtaking/i. i“/iiGood/i. iI’ve /iigotten /iiused /iito /iiseeing /iiyou /iilike /iithis/ii./ii” /i

iThe /iidream /iishifts /iione /ist itime/i. iWe’re /iiat /iithe /iiairport /iiagain/ii, /iisix /iimonths /iiter/ii, /iigetting /iiready /iito /iifly /iihome/ii. /iiMy /iisuitcase /iiis /iiheavier /iinow/ii, /iifilled /iiwith /iisouvenirs /iiand /iigifts/i.

iJasper /iistands /iibeside /iime /iiat /ithe igate/i. iThe /iway ihe /iilooks /iiat /iime /iiis /iidifferent /iinow/ii. /iiIt /iiisn’t /iijust /iiattraction or /iifascination /iiin /iihis /iieyes/ii, /iibut /iisomething /iimore /iiprimal/i, ipossessive/i. iIt /iimakes /iimy /iichest /iitight /iiand /imy ipalms /iisweaty/i.

“Soi,/ii” /iihe /iisays/ii, /iiadjusting /iihis /iicarry-/iion /iistrap/ii. /ii“/iiDinner /iiwhen /iiwe /iiget /iiback/ii? /iiI /iiknow /ia ice /iithat /imakes iincredible /iihot /iichocte/i.i” /i

i“/iiAre /iiyou /iiasking /iime /iion /iia /iidate/ii, /iiJasper /iike/i?”

iHis /iigrin /iiis /iianswer /iienough/i. “Only iif /iiyou’re /iisaying /iiyes/i, iScarlett /iiStone/i.”

i“/iiThen /iiI’m /iisaying /iiyes/ii,/ii” /iiI /iiwhisper/ii, /iihiding /iia /iismile/i.

In the dreami, /iihis /iihand /iireaches /iifor /iimine/i, iwarm /iiand /iigentle/i. iThe /iscarf islips /iislightly /iiin /ithe iairport /iwind, and he fixes iit /iiwith /iihis /iifree /iihand /iiwithout /iimissing /ia beat.

When wend back iin /iithe /iiStates/ii, /iiJasper /iilooks /iat ime /ilike iI’m /ithe center iof /iihis /iworldi. /i

But then the dream starts ito /ifadei. /iiColors /ibleed out, isounds /igrow idistant/i. iJasper’s /iface bes blurry, then disappears entirely.

I wake up in my apartment, morning light streaming through the curtains. Lily’s voice drifts from the kitchen, calling for breakfast. The gray scarf sits in my dresser drawer, waiting.

The warmth from the dream evaporates, leaving me cold and aching. My chest feels hollow, scraped clean of everything that mattered.

Because I remember what came after those golden months. I remember him proposing to

Chapter 91

More Rewards

me, Virginia appearing in our lives like a storm cloud, and slowly but surely, stealing the light from Jasper’s eyes when he looked at me.

I remember the day he stopped noticing when I wore new scarves, stoppedplimenting the way the fabric caught the light.

The one thing I can’t remember is when he stopped looking at me with the gaze of the woman who made his breath catch and instead started seeing me as an obligation, an unwanted responsibility to shoulder.

I touch my cheek, where tears are streaming down my face. The exact spot where dream–Jasper’s fingers had brushed when he was fixing my hijab. But there’s nothing now. Just empty air and the crushing weight of everything we lost.

Violet Moon