His Secret [Completed]

Chapter Ninteen

"This food is too good to be legal!" Jasmine moaned as she held the white cardboard tub in her left hand and with her right, using wooden chopsticks, she scooped up a bundle of noodles and shoved them into her mouth. The two were sat on the large L-shaped couch in front of the television, some over the top drama playing on the screen. "Pass the chicken?"

They swapped containers, each digging into the others food. Sharing a meal together was something they hadn't done since their final night in their apartment back in Brooklyn and it felt good to re-live the memories they shared together. Sophia and Jasmine rarely ever had a takeout; they allowed themselves one per month as it was all they could afford, but now things had changed for the better. Jasmine, although still working at Joey's diner, had a second job working for her cousin Derek in his furniture store. She managed the books, sales and orders. Still, she wasn't earning a fortune but was, like Sophia, looking for an apartment to call her own.

The women spent the evening talking and watching reality tv just like old times, except now they were sat in a million-dollar apartment on the top floor of a tall building, dead in the centre of New York City, overlooking the breathtaking skyline. Although they had found their feet and were on a similar life path - both working jobs they loved and each searching for an apartment of their own - there was one difference between the two. Jasmine had found true, genuine and beautiful love. She told her best friend that she'd been dating for around three month, and it started before they were kicked out of their apartment. Jasmine held back on the details, not because she was scared of what her friend might think of the person she'd fallen for but because she knew that it was Sophia's dream to find someone. They'd met in one the most romantic ways possible as she had an iced coffee thrown over her when the barista behind the counter had tripped. The two locked eyes, one set filled with humour and the other, complete terror. The barista then found the humour in the whole situation once it was realised that Jasmine wasn't mad in the slightest. Then before she knew it, she'd been asked out on a date. Somewhere without coffee, and as if her innermost desires had spoken for her rather than her mind, she agreed to one date, which soon turned into two, and four, and then six.

*

When Sophia arrived home after a long, tiring work day Thursday evening, she found the apartment to be unusually quiet. She checked around for Jasmine who was usually sat in the living room area with a bowl of popcorn in her lap watching one show or another. Yet the television wasn't turned on and the pillows of the couch were neat and tidy - she hadn't been in there that day. The guest room where Jasmine had been sleeping for the past couple of nights was also empty. Had Jasmine left? And without saying goodbye?

Then the sound of a faint melody caught Sophia's attention. The song of a band all too familiar created the soundtrack to her stroll through the wide hallway as she followed the sound, which grew louder. She passed her own bedroom door, past a bathroom until the sound was at its peak. It was coming from inside Noah's room. Panic washed over her as she burst through the door. The room was a complete mess. There were clothes scattered across the floor, thankfully still on their hangers, the closet and drawers were wide open and standing in the centre of the mess admiring herself in the mirror was Jasmine wearing none other than Brooke's thousand dollar dress.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Sophia yelled as she stepped inside the room, making her best friend jump. Jasmine turned down the music that was playing from her phone and stared at her friend. "You shouldn't be in here." Sophia rushed around, picking up the clothing and hanging them back inside the closet.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know-"

"It's someone's bedroom Jas, you don't just go in and try on their clothes."

Jasmine sighed. "You said Noah ended things with his fiancée, I just assumed..."

"Assumed what? That it was free to take?"

"No, I just..." Sophia didn't let her finish.

"If we don't put things back the way it was he'll know we've been in here." She continued to rush around straightening and folding the neckties that were hanging out of the top drawer in his closet. Jasmine didn't move, but she rather stood not knowing what to do as frankly, she'd only made a mess and didn't bother taking note of where everything was placed, unlike Sophia, who had only been in the room a handful of times yet knew all of the intricate details. Especially as she'd once dreamed of spending the night there with him, in his arms...

"Can I at least keep this?" Jasmine gestured to the silver glittery scarf that hung around her neck and in turn, Sophia gave her a glare as if to say are you serious right now? It wasn't long before the room was returned back to its original state and Sophia ensured she locked the door behind her when they left. She knew she'd have to make sure she unlocked it before Noah's arrival back the following day, because otherwise he'd suspect things; but for now, she kept it locked. Jasmine had always had a curious streak and she knew that if she was given the chance, she'd be back in that room, snooping again.

It was Jasmine's last day staying at Noah's apartment as she had to return to work on Friday evening. The previous two days had prevailed the same: the women talked, watched trashy tv, and went to sleep. Yet, there was a secret burning between them and for once, it was Sophia who was oblivious. Jasmine had spent the whole day looking around the apartment: looking through the library, the kitchen, Noah's bedroom, but most importantly, she'd been looking through his study. The door was locked, but that didn't stop her. Jasmine had found a key to the study buried in the depths of a kitchen drawer.

His filing cabinet stood wide and tall behind the mahogany desk. Jasmine felt drawn to it, as if there lay the answers to all of this madness. She'd always wondered why a man as powerful, wealthy and arrogant as Mr McKenzie took Sophia in. Sophia wasn't special or important in any way, the same as her. They were just living their lives, so when both Jasmine and Sophia were cleaning tables at the same time in the same diner when the prim and proper woman walked in and ordered breakfast, why did she give her card to Sophia, and only Sophia? It was as if she'd gone to the restaurant especially for her, as if she knew exactly who she was looking for.

There was something more to that story, she was sure of it, and when she pulled open the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet all of her questions were answered. A black leather A5 sized notebook laid on the bottom, a snap fastener holding the pages together that were bursting to open. Her hands reached for the notebook and she settled into the large leather chair, unfastened the binder and began to read.

August 22nd 2018:

I've been given a year. One year from today and this will all be over, but I know the guilt will haunt me for the rest of my life.

It's petty; she wants money but won't accept it from me. She only wants it from Sophia Jenkins, yet she doesn't have any to her name.

She's refusing to tell me why it's rightfully hers. She has a successful career and more than enough money to retire this year.

I'm writing everything down so if the time comes for an explanation I won't leave out any details. I don't know Sophia yet but I feel the need to tell her I'm sorry and that I didn't mean for her to get hurt.

The entire notebook consisted of a confession and a story of sorts. It was written in almost every day, which made it seem odd that Noah had left it in an unlocked drawer in his study. Was he hoping someone would find it?

As Jasmine read the diary entries she absorbed as much information as she could, with every intention of showing Sophia when she returned home from work - that was until a line caught her attention from the final entry, which was written only a week before:

She doesn't know the danger she's in and it's better that way. Being oblivious keeps her from asking questions and I need it to stay that way. I'm falling for her and if she asks me any questions, I'm bound to break down and confess.

Jasmine didn't know what truth the journal held, but she realised she couldn't tell her friend. The outcome was uncertain, so it was best to keep quiet - at least for a short while.