Wicked Lies

14. need you now

I take off my clothes and put on my warmest pajamas as soon as I get home. The rain is pouring outside; rain is not that common in November, but maybe it's a sign that it'll start snowing soon. I turn on the electric fireplace, pour myself a glass of wine, and sit at the diner table, looking out the window. This city is never quiet —there are always cars on the street, planes in the sky, lights on in every building around. But I'm growing fond of the noise. It's like a lullaby now.

My phone buzzes on the table. Jasper is calling.

"Hello?"

"Bella, hi," he says. He sounds... weird. A bit sad.

"Are you okay?" I ask when he doesn't say anything else.

"I... I'm right outside your building." I look at the screen of my phone. It's midnight. "You know what? This is stupid. I'm sorry."

"No, hold on. Let me open the main door."

I press the button to open the door downstairs and hang up the phone. A few seconds later, I hear a knock on my door. When I open it, Jasper walks in without saying a word. I look up and down at him; he's wearing a polo shirt and jeans. I don't think I had ever seen him out of his suit. He sits on the couch, looking defeated. I pour him a glass of wine and give it to him —I don't know what's wrong with him but something terrible must've happened for him to just show up to my apartment in the middle of the night like this.

"So, do you want to tell me why you're here, or am I supposed to guess?"

"I kicked Ivanna out of the apartment," he says, still not looking at me.

"What? Why?"

"We had a huge fight when she finally came home earlier today." He drinks his wine and then sighs. "The truth is we hadn't been a couple for a while."

"What do you mean? Were you pretending?"

"Kind of..." He runs his hand through his blonde curls. "Her family and my family have been acquaintances for so long. We started dating when we were in high school, mostly because our parents insisted we were perfect for each other. But I think we fell out of love with each other a long time ago. Last night I told her it was over, and I kicked her out."

"I'm sorry," I say and then drink my wine. What else am I supposed to say?

"My dad will be pissed when he finds out. He was counting on us getting married."

"Maybe it's not my place to say, but he shouldn't get to decide who you marry, Jasper."

He scoffs and finishes his wine in one gulp. I guess he's done talking about the subject.

The night I met Ivanna at the gala, she told me she had been dating Jasper since she was sixteen, but that they had known each other since they were kids. Jasper's dad used to be the managing partner of Griffiths & Richmond back then, and they represented Ivanna's dad's company. Rich people arranging for their kids to marry is not uncommon; that's how they get to not only keep but grow their wealth.

Jasper takes the bottle of wine and pours me another glass. He then serves himself, drinks it all, and fills his glass again.

"Wow, slow down!" I laugh.

"You know what? Fuck it, Bella," he says as he lifts the bottle, "I want to get wasted tonight, but I don't want to go out and see people. And since I'm already here..." He shrugs, taking the bottle to his mouth and drinking directly from it.

"What are you doing? That's disgusting!" I throw myself at him, trying to take the bottle from his hands but he keeps lifting it higher and higher. "If you spill it, Jasper, I swear to god..."