Nolan POV
The ballroom felt too loud and too small at the same time. I stood near one of the high-top tables with a drink I hadn’t touched, watching the crowd swirl around me like I was stuck behind glass. Mabel was off somewhere chatting with sponsors. I should’ve been right there with her, playing the part of the supportive boyfriend. Instead I was glued to this spot, eyes locked across the room on the one person I couldn’t stop watching.
Juniper.
She looked different tonight. Not just the black dress that hugged her in ways I’d never seen before, or the way her hair fell loose instead of pulled back in that nervous bun she used to wear. It was the way she carried herself. Straight shoulders. Chin up. Like she wasn’t waiting for anyone anymore. Tristan’s hand was low on her back, fing
