“I’m fine Ava. I'm sorry if I made a scene or embarrassed you. I’m
drunk, sorry.”
“You weren’t the one who embarrassed me,” I mumble, thinking of
Jasper’s testosterone filled performance.
I am so mad at him for being such an ass, because after tonight, we
both will never have to see Harper ever again. But of course, he couldn’t leave
well enough alone.
“I'm going to go Ava,” Harper says, pulling me into a loose hug.
“Okay Harper,” I reply into his shoulder. “I will come see you
tomorrow and collect... I will just see you tomorrow,” I correct quickly.
Harper does not need reminding that tomorrow I will be collecting my
things, and leaving him forever.
He nods and I pull away to see Jasper stalking down the green lawn
towards us. And what do you know, he looks furious.
“Go Harper, Jasper is coming. Please don't argue with him, its V’s
day, so please don't spoil it by fighting with him.”
I can’t believe I am having this conversation with him. He is the
drunken one with a broken heart, and has every right to be mad, but he looks at
me with full understanding.
“Okay Ava,” and he begins walking down the driveway, head downcast.
“Hey! Roberto is there,” I say confused, pointing to where Roberto
is parked.
Harper turns to me. “No, he will take you home. I have a feeling
you'll need him,” he says as he looks over my shoulder.
I don’t quite understand what he means by his comment, but I don't
argue with him, as I just want him gone before Jasper catches up to him.
“Okay thanks,” I reply nervously.
I let out the breath I was inadvertently holding when he walks down
the driveway, away from the man standing at my back.
Taking a calming breath before turning around, I hiss, “What is the
matter with you?”
With me?” he slurs slightly.
Looking at his inebriated form makes my blood boil.
“You're... drunk.”
Way to go Ava by stating the obvious, but my words are trapped in my
throat, as I am so livid right now.
“Yeah, so what? How else do you expect me to deal with seeing that
fucker’s hands all over you?”
Rubbing my forehead in frustration, I sigh, “You're just drunk and
not seeing things clearly.”
Jasper stands tall. “No, quite the contrary. I see everything, and
everything is crystal clear. It's only when I'm sober I don't seem to see
things for what they really are.”
I feel my stomach drop. “What do you mean?”
Jasper is giving nothing away, and I know he is mulling over what to
tell me next. “Do you think I haven't thought about what happens after you
leave? It’s all I think about!” he spits, throwing his hands out to his sides.
“You've still got six months left of your scholarship,” he says, his voice
slightly raised. “You may have broken up with him here, but what happens when
I'm not there. Answer me that!”
“I would never do that,” I gasp, my mouth parted in shock.
How could he think I would do that to him? I know how. But I would
never make that same mistake ever again.
He raises his eyebrow unconvinced, and his actions wound me.
“You still don't trust me? After everything? After these past few
days, you think I am just going to forget what’s happened, and... go back... to
him?” I ask, appalled that he could think so poorly of me.
How dare he accuse me of this! I've learnt from my mistake. I know
it was a BIG mistake, but does he think I just spread my legs for anything that
gives me attention!
I turn my back on him before I slap his disbelieving face.
“I saw the way you were with him tonight. You still care for him.”
Groaning, I slide my hands down my face in frustration. Are we
seriously having this conversation for like the millionth time!?
“He's playing you Ava, and you’re totally falling for it,” Jasper
says despondently.
That’s it!
I spin around, shoving my finger into Jasper’s chest. “He's playing
me? Are you fucking serious?! I told him I wasn't returning to Singapore, and
that I’m staying here in Los Angeles. And he all but pieced together that the
reason for why I’m staying, has in part got to do with you! But now, I'm really
freakin’ regretting that decision!” I shout.
“You're staying here?” he asks, his blue eyes popping out of his
head.
“Yes! I was going to tell you before, but then you went all crazy
person,” I say animatedly, throwing my hands up in defeat.
“I didn't know,” Jasper utters apologetically while taking a step towards
me. “I'm sorry Ava. I just... I can't handle seeing him use you.”
Does he think I am a fool?
“How is he using me? I told him I didn’t love him, and I’m not going
back to Singapore. He asked was it because of you, and of course I told him no.
But then he sees us together, and the least I could do is show the guy some
compassion, especially after I told him once tonight ends, I am cutting all
ties with him. And the reason I made that decision, to never see him again, is
because I know it would hurt you if we remained in contact! And I am willing to
make that sacrifice for you, because you, you son of a bitch, is all I care
about!” I yell breathlessly.
I am so furious my words are catching in my throat, but I continue
my rant. “So forgive me for wanting to do this one thing for him, because after
tonight, he and I are done. I was afraid you two would fight, as you are both
drunk, so I told him to go home because I don't trust either of you at the
moment. That's what friends do! They look after one another!”
“Yeah, I know,” he replies, slightly annoyed.
I know he is referring to the time he did the same thing for Indie,
and just thinking about her sends me into a fit of fury.
“Don't you dare bring up that skank! FYI, I saw her and your mom at
The Mall together all BFF. If you think Indie will settle with just being
friends, then you're the one who is being played!”
I am shouting my lungs out, but this conversation is one well
overdue, and now that I’ve started, I can’t stop.
I can see he is clearly shocked that Indie and his mom are in touch.
“When did you see them together?”
Are you kidding me? That’s all he has to say!
“I don't know!” I spit. “That's beside the point. At least after
today, Harper will be out of my life for good, living in a different country.
But you can't say the same thing for Indie, or Harmony, or even Trudy for that
matter, or whoever else you have salivating all over you! It’s like, ‘Here Ava,
take a number to Jasper’s heart! You’re girl number five hundred fighting for
his affections!’”
I am so mad, I am seeing red!
Jasper fists both hands through his hair, and throws them by his
sides. “What do you want me to do? If you want Indie out of my life, fine,
consider it done! If you want me to talk to my mom and tell her to never see Indie
ever again, fine! You want me to stop talking to Harmony, fine! You want me to
stop talking to every girl I have ever met, or will meet, fine! Ava fine! I
will do all of that because I fucking love you!”
He grabs my palm and slaps it against his chest. “You feel that?”
Suddenly flinching, as the sound my hand creates against his torso
echoes, and carries on the night’s cool breeze.
I slowly bob my head up and down. “Yes,” I reply, as I can feel his
heart beating like a thousand butterflies have taken flight in his chest.
He covers his hand over mine and his eyes search my face, willing me
to believe him. “My heart is yours. It beats for no one but you. Do you hear
me? Only you.”
I bite back my tears because the emotion behind his words is pure.
“But you’re naive if you think for one minute we've seen the last of
Harper,” he snarls, dropping his hand from mine, and balling them up into fists
by his side.
Way to go Jasper and ruin a moment.
I am pissed off that he thinks I am naive, because I believe Harper
will leave me be.
“He will do as I ask,” I reply angrily.
Jasper lets out a small snicker. “How can you believe a slimeball
like him? Why do you give him credit Ava? Why?!”
He is looking at me, pleading with me to explain everything.
This is it. He wants to know everything. Then I will tell him
everything.
“Because he was there when you weren't! He was the one who helped me
pick up the pieces when you left. He was the one who hugged me to sleep every
night. He was the one who made sure I ate and showered and remembered how to
breathe when you didn’t. And he was the one who never left me that fucking
note!”
Jasper takes a step back as I have come up into his private space,
shoving him in his chest.
“What note?” he asks, lightly grabbing onto my wrists to stop me
from pounding into him.
“Oh please, don't insult me,” I snicker, trying to pull out of his
hold. “The note you sent me. The note that stopped me from begging you to take
me back! The note that made me say yes to Harper!”
Jasper grabs me by my upper arms, shaking me lightly, because I am
hysterical.
“Ava,” he says in a hushed tone, trying to calm me down. “What
note?” he asks again, peering into my eyes.
Choking on my rapid breaths, my whole body is shaking with each
raspy breath I take. I can’t speak so I reach into my bag, searching
frantically for the malevolent note, and throw it at him when I find it.
Jasper picks it up from the ground and unfolds it, and as his eyes
rake over the words, they change from cerulean to crimson.
“I didn't write it,” he says through clenched teeth, shaking his
head.
“You didn’t?” I ask disbelieving. “It's your handwriting!” I yell,
jabbing my finger into the piece of paper repeatedly.
A look of pure rage takes over his features and I stop jabbing, afraid
of his response.
“Who gave this to you?” he asks, showing me the note, his chest
rising quickly.
Lowering my eyes because I suddenly feel sick, I know that something
is not right. I know that Jasper was not the one who wrote the note.
“Who gave this to you Ava?” he repeats, grasping my upper arms,
shaking me lightly.
“Harper,” I whisper, my eyes still lowered.
Jasper lets me go and drops to his knees with a bone crunching thud.
With his head buried in his hands, his shoulders are shaking uncontrollably,
and he is breathing violently.
Then it all clicks into place, and time freezes. I think back to
when Harper gave me the note and how smug he looked, smiling like the Cheshire
Cat. How he never looked too surprised when I finally said yes.
I can't believe this. All this time it was... him. How could Harper
do this to me? Jasper never wanted me to forget him. It was Harper all along.
I feel sick.
Jasper jumps to his feet, and cries a bloodcurdling scream with his
face raised to the sky.
“Motherfucker!!”
Before I know what is going on, he is storming off down the
driveway.
Quickly chasing after him, while tripping over my feet, I shriek,
“What are you doing?”
But there is no need to ask him, because I know where he is headed.
He doesn’t answer, but continues storming down the driveway.
“Jasper, no. Please don’t,” I plead, grabbing his arm.
I am so afraid, because right now there is no stopping Jasper. He
hauls me down the driveway with him, the gravel dragging under my heels.
Finally he stops as I am latching on like a leech, and not letting go.
He shrugs out of my grip and turns to face me. At last, he has come
to his senses.
“Tell me where he’s staying!”
Or not.
He is so mad I can see a little vein pulsating under his left eye,
and there is no way I am going to tell him where Harper is.
“No.” I shake my head swiftly.
I can't tell him because I know Jasper will kill Harper.
He continues stomping down the driveway, with me following in hot
pursuit.
“I will find him whether you tell me or not!” he says kicking at the
gravel, turning around to face me, fisting his hair in frustration.
“Jasper!” I plead, hoping he will calm down and see reason.
But he ignores me and bolts down the driveway. I try to keep up with
him, but know my chances of catching him are nil, especially in heels.
“Jasper!” I yell one last time desperately.
But he doesn’t turn around, and before I know it, his silhouette
disappears.
Seeing as the last sight of him was him cracking his neck from side
to side, and clenching his fists like Rocky, I do the only thing I can.
I race over to Roberto and dive into the passenger seat.