Chapter 20 - She's Broken
Jasper's POV
"Well, Jasper, I'll let you know in a couple of days whether or not this is going to go ahead." Stephen Hardman, the CEO of Hardman & Co, informed as he stood up. "Until then."
"Of course, Stephen. I look forward to hearing from you."
Nodding politely, he picked up his briefcase and exited my office leaving me even more pissed than I was upon his unwelcomed arrival.
He along with my mysterious girlfriend were driving me to the brink of insanity, but more so my girlfriend.
Any blind fool could see how much she loathed herself and the very thought of that made my blood boil in anger.
Scarlett was the epitome of beautiful. Not only on the outside but, God, the inside was even more beautiful and that kind of beauty was rare to come by for somebody like me – I just wished she could see that for herself.
I hurled everything which was sat on my desk in sheer anger, sending everything crashing to the ground, not noticing Scarlett come in.
"Jasper?" She called out softly as I looked up at her, remaining silent.
She smiled sadly at me as she proceeded to pick up the mess I made, placing everything back in its original place before she walked back to the door closing it slowly, making her way back to my desk.
"I'm so sorry, Jasper." She said, her voice cracking slightly.
"Hey," I murmured, standing up and guiding her to the couch, still confused. "What's the matter, Scarlett?"
"Why did you choose me?"
"Scarlett, I -"
"I'm not wealthy. My father is a deranged psychopath who's in prison and my mother left us and... And just look at me."
"I am." I told her because in that moment there was nothing more beautiful than her.
Absolutely nothing.
"I'm sorry," she barely whispered as she began to back out of the office. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back gently wrapping my arms around her small frame, feeling her body wracked with sobs as I pulled her impossibly closer.
"Hey," I murmured into her soft hair as her sobs died down into sniffles.
We stood like this for fifteen minutes in complete silence and I swear that in that very moment I had never felt so content my whole life. I had never felt so satisfied. So proud. So happy. And I owed it all to a woman who had been strong for too long.
"I want you to go to my place and go straight to bed," I told her, using my index finger to tilt her chin upwards.
"Okay," she agreed quietly, to my surprise. I had most definitely not expected her to comply with that so easily.
"Smith will be here in ten minutes, okay?"
"Thank you, Jasper," she gave me a small smile, before burying her face in my chest, inhaling deeply as I kissed the top of her head.
"I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"
"Okay," she said softly as she left, closing the door behind her.
Taking a seat at my desk, I wondered what the matter was with Scarlett. We hadn't argued or fought, but she wasn't letting me in.
But I knew one person who would know what was wrong with my beautiful girlfriend.
"Christine?" I called from my intercom. "Arrange for a car to collect Miss Melissa Kingston and have her bought here, please. Without fail."
"Yes, Mr Queen."
Twenty minutes later, came a knock at my door as I stood up to open it.
"You had better have a good excuse for dragging out a pregnant woman to meet you," she glared as I nodded.
"I do, Miss Kingston, I do." I replied simply, pulling out a chair for her.
"What can I do for you?"
"It's about Scarlett."
"Scarlett? Why? What's the matter with her?"
"I don't know to be honest, I mean, she can barely look me in the eye these days. It's as though, no matter how hard I try, I cannot get through to her," I sighed. "That's where I thought you would come in handy."
"Charmed." She muttered before throwing her head back.
"What? What is it?" I asked nervously.
"I would never do this to Scarlett but I know how much she cares for you, hell probably even how much she loves you!" Melissa chuckled as I tried to mask my shock.
"I don't understand."
"Jasper, she's afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"You!"
What the hell?
"Of me?" I yelled in disbelief as Melissa sighed.
"Jasper, she's never been a serious relationship like this in her whole life. All of them consistently ended after two or three weeks and do you want to know why?"
"Why?"
"Men, being the primitive species, you are, expected sex, Jasper. It's only natural, I suppose, but the point is, she couldn't give it to any one of them and, of course, each and every sorry bastard left her. Left her because they couldn't be bothered to help her love herself." Melissa said quietly. "She's disgusted with her body, Jasper. She's disgusted by the scars. But most of all, she's disgusted with herself."
"Fuck," I whispered in utter disbelief.
"Scarlett is the strongest and most independent woman I've ever met and am ever likely to meet, but she needs stability. She's so afraid of being abandoned by you, Jasper, and every time she brings herself to look at you, it shatters her because she knows there will never be anything more." She said sadly. "She's seen and been through too much, so, Jasper, if you know that this relationship is not going anywhere you need to decide now. I can't have her revert back to her former self."
"Thank you, Melissa," I said sincerely as she got up to leave.
"Just... Please don't hurt her, Jasper," she pleaded as she left.
"Luke? Get over here. You're in charge for two weeks." I spoke through my phone.
"Sure. May I ask why?"
"In due time," I dismissed, ending the call.
I grabbed my suit jacket and locked my office door behind me before making my way into the car.
"Home, Smith." I instructed him.
"Of course."
Twenty minutes later, I'd reached home, opening the front door gates.
"Scarlett?" I called out from the hallway.
"In here!" She replied from my bedroom.
"Hey, baby," I greeted, smiling as she sat upright on my huge bed, wearing my T-Shirt.
"Hey, you," she grinned shyly as I kicked my shoes off and joined her. "Why are you home so early?"
"I was worried about you," I murmured, kissing her forehead.
"I'm fine, Jasper!" She laughed, resting her head on my shoulder.
"You need to get ready," I announced as she whipped her head up.
"What for?"
"I'm taking you somewhere special," I smirked.
"Jasper, I don't think-"
"Nope, I'm not having any of that! We're going and that's final!" I said, daring her to say no.
"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" She asked hopefully.
"Of course, honey, straight after my tea party with Oprah," I teased as she slapped my chest.
"Animal," she laughed as she got out of bed. "Can you at least tell me what I should wear?"
"Nothing," I smirked as she glared at me. "Something comfortable for the plane."
"Plane?" She squeaked as I laughed.
"I'll keep your pretty ass safe, don't you worry."
"Hm." She shot daggers at me as she opened up her side of the wardrobe.
I loved that she had her things in my room, like her perfumes and hair ties which were on my table and in my bathroom, I loved how it was like she lived here.
The tricky part was actually getting her to live with me, I thought in frustration.
"I'm just going to make a quick phone call, I'll be right back," I told her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Okay," she said softly as I left the room.
"Carlos? I need you to get the jet ready for about forty-five minutes time," I told my pilot before letting him know where we were going. "Okay, thanks very much, Carlos. See you in a while."
"I'm ready," Scarlett grinned as I went back into my room. "Whoever said a woman takes too long to get ready hasn't met me." She laughed.
She was wearing a pink chiffon beach dress and she'd tied her hair up in a ponytail. I could see her bra through the thin material as I felt myself stir a little.
"Ahem... You just look so beautiful," I breathed as she blushed.
"You need to change too, Jasper," she frowned before taking out a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants out of the wardrobe.
"Scarlett," I whined childishly. "I'm fine in this!"
"Stop being such a baby," she muttered as she began to unbutton my dress shirt. The shirt fell to the ground as she handed over my T-Shirt keeping her eyes trained well away from my naked chest. "Now, can you take your own trousers off or do we need some more help?"
"Some more help please, Miss Valentina," I smirked as she rolled her eyes
"One day, Mr Queen, one day I'll make an honest gentleman out of you," she teased, shaking her head as I laughed.
"Right, come on, let's go," I said, once I'd changed
"Erm, what about our clothes?"
"I have a load of new ones waiting for us at our hotel," I told her, kissing her lips softly.
"There really was no need for that, Jasper," she murmured, smiling, as I shrugged.
"Come on," I grinned, taking her hand and leading her out to the car.
"Can you at least tell me where we're going, now?" Scarlett asked once we'd got on the jet.
"Well, I guess... Not." I teased as she scowled at me.
"Asshole," she pouted, her bottom lip sticking out as I pulled her onto my lap.
"You," I murmured in her ear. "Are going to be the death of me."
I slowly bit her lip as she moaned softly before jerking away.
"Actually, if you can't tell me where we're going, you don't get to touch," she stated, folding her arms as my mouth dropped open.
"You can't do that!"
"Can't I?" She dared, her voice low and sultry. "Watch me, baby, watch me."
She reclined on the bed with her back towards me, her shapely ass practically in my face.
"Scarlett, please," I whined as she laughed.
"Sorry, Jasper," she shrugged as I felt my ego deflate.
Two can play at that game, I decided as I crept up behind her and kissed her slowly on her neck as her whole body stiffened.
"Move," she muttered, turning around until she was beneath me.
"Move? Where, baby? Here?" I teased, trailing my lips down her vanilla scented body.
"Jasper," she moaned quietly. "Get off!"
"No," I mumbled, kissing her jaw before she slowly cupped my face in her small hands as we simply stared at each other, unspeaking.
This woman, will be the death of me, I decided vehemently.